Langley 1922
| No | Name | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comm | Fate |
| CV1, 4.1937- AV3 | Langley (ex-Jupiter) | Mare Island N Yd, Vallejo // Norfolk N Yd | 18.10.1911 | 24.8.1912 | 7.4.1913 // 20.3.1922 | seaplane tender 4.1937, sunk 27.2.1942 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
13990 |
|
Displacement full, t |
15150 |
|
Length, m |
158.5 wl 165.3 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
19.9 |
|
Draught, m |
6.30 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 electric motors, 2 General Electric turbo-generators, 3 Yarrow boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
6500 |
|
Max speed, kts |
15.5 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal 2300 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | |
|
Armament |
4 x 1 - 127/51 Mk 7.8, 34 aircraft (M-8, VE-7) |
|
Complement |
468 |
Aircraft facilities (fd - 3,173 m², ha - ? m² / ? m³): Flight deck: 162.7 x 19.5 m. There were opened hangar and one elevator (13.9x11.0m, 4.5t). There were 2 pneumatic catapults for seaplanes (2.8t plane dispersed to 100 km/h). Aircraft fuel stowage was 929 000 l.
| Year | Fighters | Reconnaissance | Torpedo bombers | Seaplanes |
| 1924 | 12 TS | 12 UO | 4 SC | 6 |
| 1933 | 15 F4B | 15 SU | --- | --- |
Project history: First USN aircraft carrier. She was laid down as coaler Jupiter for USN and commissioned in 1913. Unusual feature of a vessel was twin-shaft turbo-electric machinery. In July, 1919 he design of her conversion to aircraft carrier was completed. Conversion was carried out at Norfolk N Yd in March 1920 - March, 1922.
Langley had rectangular flight deck. The space between it and upper deck it was possible to call as a hangar with big assumption: it was open from both sides at full length. There was one aircraft elevator, besides, seaplanes were handled by special cranes. Tanks for aviation petrol and a aviation ammunition magazines were placed in the former cargo holds. Originally Langley had two pneumatic catapults for seaplanes and longitudinal arresting gear. In 1928 catapult was removed and year later longitudinal arresting gear was replaced by more successful transverse system. Too slow to act with battlefleet, Langley was used as the experimental ship, on which various technical innovations were tested. So, originally carrier was equipped by one funnel a port side, but because of strong smoke blanketing of a flight deck it should be changed by two funnels thrown off downwards.
Modernizations:
1928: catapults were removed.(10/1936 - 2.1937, Mare Is N Yd): Langley was converted to seaplane tender. Fore one third part of flight deck was removed. One squadron of seaplanes can be based. Ship can carry up to 55 aircraft as aircraft transport.
Naval service: In 1934 USN staff decided to build next aircraft carrier (Wasp) and it was necessary to "exempt" tonnage for them, assigned under aircraft carriers the Washington Treaty of 1922. Langley lost a third of her flight deck, and ship was officially reclassified as seaplane tender (AV3). She could support one seaplanes squadron, but usually she was used for aircraft repair. Langley was badly damaged by Japanese G4M land-based bombers 27.2.1942 in 75nm S off Java (she received five direct bombing hits) and sunk by destroyer Whipple.
Langley 1921
Langley as aircraft tender.
© Ivan Gogin, 2014