Naval Aviation: 100 Years of Evolution

A look at the aircraft that have carried Naval Aviation into its 100th anniversary.

**Young civilian pilot Eugene Ely completed the first Navy shipboard landing on Jan. 18, 1911.
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**In the early days, the Navy relied heavily on flying boats and seaplanes like the Vought O2U.
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As well as the Consolidated P2Y-1.

The Vought F4U Corsair, seen here, and Grumman F6F Hellcat were the Navy’s primary fighters during World War II, introduced to take on the Imperial Japanese Navy’s underpowered but highly maneuverable Zeros.

The Grumman F6F Hellcat.

Replacement to the F-4, the Navy F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter has served with the Navy for the past three decades.

The USS Nimitz supercarrier patrols the Gulf of Oman on Jan. 12, 2010. The Navy’s carrier strike groups are the U.S. military’s first responders in armed conflicts and times of humanitarian need alike.