Eagle repeatedly moved between Mediterranean exercises and British refits, turning operational experience into design changes. Her 1928 work alongside Courageous marked a shift from single-carrier experimentation toward multi-carrier exercises. A saltwater hangar-spray system required extra corrosion protection for naval aircraft, while arresting-gear practice changed quickly as aircraft grew heavier. Later work installed cross-deck arresting gear, more anti-aircraft weapons, improved fire control, foam generators, new boilers, and strengthened machinery systems. These recurring refits kept her useful as both an operational carrier and a fleet test platform.
Chapter · 38:35-45:19
A working test bed for interwar carrier technology
Repeated deployments and refits let Eagle test hangar firefighting, arresting systems, anti-aircraft weapons, machinery upgrades, and changing aircraft types.