Aircraft Operated from U. S. Aircraft Carriers

Many aircraft have been operated by the U.S. Navy over the years. This list will cover only those that actually entered operational squadron service aboard aircraft carriers, as opposed to aircraft that operated infrequently (Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaisance plane), operated for test/evaluation purposes (Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport) or those used for special missions (North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber). These aircraft may be described in the Special Missions pages.

Each aircraft will be identified by the name of the manufacturer (i.e. Grumman), it's most-familiar designation (F4F), it's common name (Wildcat), and it's primary mission type (Fighter). When available, a photograph of the aircraft will be displayed in the technical data tables.

The Navy has used several systems of aircraft designations over the years. These are described in detail on several pages listed in the Sources, below. On this page, aircraft will be identified by the most recognizable designation it was assigned; the famous Vietnam-era McDonnell-Douglas Phantom II fighter-bomber will be listed as the F-4 Phantom II, rather than by it's original designation of "FH". Designation changes may be listed in the Notes section for the aircraft.

During an aircraft model's service life, it's systems may be upgraded to take advantage of new technology; upgrades may be listed in the Notes. The detailed data for each aircraft will be for the type indicated in the table.

A basic airframe may also be modified or redesigned to accomplish different tasks. Occasionally, these modifications will result in the aircraft being given a new designation and/or mission type, sometimes even a new name. An example is the Grumman A-6 Intruder attack bomber, which was redesigned as an electronic warfare aircraft, designated EA-6 Prowler. These variations may be listed in the Variants section for the basic aircraft; they may or may not have entered squadron service. In the event that a redesigned aircraft has significantly different characteristics from it's "parent" design, the new aircraft will be listed as a separate entry.

The list is sorted by the date of squadron service. Click on the aircraft name to see technical and historical details.

Early Years: 1921 - 1941

World War II: 1941 - 1945

Jet Age: 1945 - 1960

Modern: 1960 - Present
Grumman C-2 Greyhound (1966) Boeing/British AeroSpace AV-8B Harrier II (1985)

Helicopters

Sources

Wikipedia - List of U.S. Naval Aircraft

Fighter-Planes.Com

U.S. Military Aircraft Designations by Andrew Chorney

Designation-Systems.Net

U.S. Military Aircraft Designation Systems by Derek O. Bridges

The Designation Systems FAQ by Emmanuel Gustin at Haze Gray and Underway

Dedication

Aircraft Operated from U. S. Aircraft Carriers

Sources