A 1918 torpedo aircraft and a modern F-35B show why aircraft count alone cannot describe a carrier air group. The modern aircraft is longer, vastly heavier, faster, and able to carry a much larger weapons load, even if its wingspan is smaller. Its empty and maximum takeoff weights make clear that the carrier supports a far more demanding system than the Sopwith Cuckoo. That growth changes deck handling, hangar volume, maintenance demand, and the support required to generate sorties. The figures come from carefully checked open sources rather than privileged performance information.
Notable Point · 45:40-49:29
Strike aircraft grew into much larger systems
A comparison between the Sopwith Cuckoo and F-35B shows how modern carrier aircraft impose different weight, payload, range, and support demands.