Future Carrier (Including Costs)

[SLXOwft]

Of whichever nation the pioneers of wheeled naval aviation were brave men. Thankfully a century later it has finally become relatively safe.

As you say, SASLess, Eugene Ely performed the first take off from the stationary USS Birmingham 14 November 1910, and the first landing on the stationary USS Pensylvania 18 Jan 1911 (this was also the first use of a tailhook); he was killed in a display flying acccident on 19 October 1911.

On 9 May 1912 Commander Charles Samson RN (Later Air Commodore RAF) performed the first the take of from a moving ship, HMS Hibernia which was steaming at 15 knots.

On 2 August 1917 Squadron Commander Edwin Dunning RNAS performed the first landing on a moving ship (the then split deck carrier, HMS Furious), he was killed five days later when attempting another landing.

HMS Argus (1918) was the first full length flat top having been converted from an Italian liner.

As your linked article mentions efforts during WW1 involving shipborne aviation were somewhat experimental with seaplanes being the dominant participants. Landing on was the real problem, the pilots of the aircraft launched by HMS Furious for the Todern raid on 19 July 1918 were expected to ditch alongside on their return, however several headed for a Danish airfield as their fuel was too low to make it back to the ships.

Probably because of later events, the IJN's pioneering activities in naval aviation are often overlooked: at the siege of Tsingtao (Japan and Britain v Germany & Austria-Hungary) having already conducted the first sea launched air action against land forces; on 6 September 1914 aircraft the seaplane carrier Wakamiya launched the first attempt to sink an opposing warship by bombing. in December 1922, Hōshō was the first purpose built aircraft carrier to be commissioned.

Here endeth the lesson...