The beginnings of naval aviation were quite humble. A converted collier named the Langley was the first "flat top" and the next few were built on hulls originally intended for battle cruisers. The Ranger was the first to be designed from the hull up to be a carrier.

During World War 2 the defining class was the "Essex" of which the Lexington was the longest lived(she is now a museum in Corpus Christie TX).

Towards the end of the war the Midway class was started and represented the latest in technology for that time. Originally built with a straight flight deck and bristling with 3 and 5 inch guns for anti-aircraft defense the Coral Sea was considered a "super carrier" when she was commisioned.

During the 1950's after much experimentation she was decommisioned and rebuilt. An angled flight deck was added to provide greater safety and flexibility. Side elevators were put in place to free up the flight deck. And bigger, more powerful catapults were put in place. Also replaced was her landing cable system.

All of this was done to make her job of "shooting them off the pointy end" easier.