Carrier-based airplanes have been a breed apart since their conception. Operating from the deck of a ship imposes special requirements on aircraft design and construction. A case in point is the Parnall Panther, one of the very first airplanes specifically designed to take off from and land on the deck of an aircraft carrier at sea.
William Parnall established Parnall Ltd. in 1820 in Bristol, England, for the manufacture of weights and measures, later expanding into shop fittings. By August 1914 the company was under the direction of his descendant George Parnall, a visionary who was interested in aviation. During World