Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:51:25-2:53:49

Eric Brown's first carrier landing by a pure jet

The first jet carrier landing depends on whether the aircraft used pure or mixed power and whether its arrival was controlled.

Aircraft CarriersDe Havilland VampireEric Winkle BrownHMS OceanNaval AviationRoyal NavyRyan Fr FireballUS Navy
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Question

Who made the first carrier landing by a jet aircraft, and did the United States get there first?

Short answer

Eric Brown made the first controlled carrier landing and takeoff by a pure jet in a Sea Vampire aboard HMS Ocean in December 1945, while the earlier American Ryan FR Fireball arrival was a crash landing by a mixed-power aircraft.

Notes

Eric Brown's December 1945 landing of a de Havilland Sea Vampire on HMS Ocean was the first carrier landing and takeoff by a fully jet-powered aircraft. The Ryan FR Fireball's earlier emergency arrival aboard USS Wake Island was different: the Fireball combined piston and jet power, was not landing under jet power, and crash-landed. Calling either event the first jet carrier landing without qualification hides those differences. Propulsion, intent, and whether the landing was controlled all matter when defining the record.