How fast are aircraft carriers?

Answer 1

The US Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers can generally hit a top speed of 30+ knots. Current carriers from other countries generally have top speed in the 25-28 knot range.

Answer 2

During WW2 the longest US Carrier was the USS Lexington (888 feet), sunk during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. The USS Midway was 972 feet long, but was commissioned after the war ended in September 1945.

Answer 3

The answer for todays carriers would be different.

For WWII, there were no catapults to assist in slinging planes into the air. They had to get airborne under their own power. It was essential that the carrier be heading into the wind at top speed before launching aircraft, as this added about 30 mph to the relative speed of the aircraft.

So, if all planes were fully fueled and armed and the pilots standing by, the carrier heading into the wind, an aircraft could be launched every twenty to thirty seconds.

Not all planes would fit on the flight deck at one time. Some would be on the deck below, the hanger deck, and brought up on large platform elevators when there was room. US carriers generally had four of these elevators, which were a part of the flight deck when raised.

US carriers generally kept some fighter planes aloft over head as Combat Air Patrol during daylight, and kept another flight on standby on the flight deck with pilots in the cockpits.

WWII carriers were straight deck carriers. They could not launch airplanes and also land airplanes at the same time. So if flight operations were underway - and they almost always were, with the CAP overhead, then the deck could not be crammed full of planes at the ready because this would make it impossible for the CAP to be recovered.

When a major attack was being readied and launched, then the carrier tried to launch aircraft as rapidly as possible, so they would be able to attack in a large number at the same time after flying to the target.

It took the Japanese abut an hour to launch the first wave of attack aircraft for the Pearl Harbor attack. Some had to circle around, finding the others of their formations, until all were airborne, then they set off together for Oahu. After about another 30-45 minutes the Japanese were able to being launching the second wave, having brought up those aircraft by elevator from the hanger deck. They were not able to launch all at once because of the limitations of space on the flight decks.

Answer 4

Any thing over 30 knots is top secret I have been on 7 carriers but we were doing flight ops.

Answer 5

130 Knots or about 150 MPH

Answer 6

55 knots