HMS Furious and the evolution of the flight deck

Furious progressed through forward and aft flying decks, a retained central superstructure, and finally a flush deck. Each arrangement exposed a different problem in launching, recovering, and controlling aircraft aboard a large moving ship. A flush deck deprived the bridge team of a sufficiently elevated view and gave pilots fewer visual references for judging height on approach. The experiments therefore helped establish the island as both a command position and a practical landing aid rather than needless obstruction.