Editing Baltimore-class cruiser (section)

===Aircraft===
[[File:OS2U Kingfishers aboard USS Quincy (CA-71), in August 1944 (80-G-K-1948).jpg|thumb|right|Two Kingfishers on their catapults on board USS ''Quincy'']]
The onboard flight systems of the ''Baltimore''-class cruisers during World War II consisted of two [[aircraft catapult]]s on the side edges of the aft deck. Between the catapults was a sliding hatchway which was the roof of an onboard hangar. Directly under the hatch was an aircraft elevator. The hangar had room to accommodate up to four aircraft at one time, one to port forward of the elevator, one to port abeam the elevator, one starboard abeam, and one on the elevator itself. The first four ships of the class had two cranes each, while the later models had only one.

At full speed, the [[Vought OS2U Kingfisher]] could be launched from these catapults and later the [[SC Seahawk|Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk]]. These planes were used for reconnaissance, [[anti-submarine warfare|anti-submarine]], and rescue missions. The planes were [[seaplane]]s, and after their missions would land in the water near the cruiser and be lifted back up into the ship by the crane or cranes in the rear and reset upon their catapults. In the 1950s, the catapults and the accompanying capacity to launch airplanes were removed, though the cranes were left and the hangars used to house helicopters, ship's boats or the workings of the Regulus missile system.

''Macon'' in 1948 had a slightly elevated [[helipad]] installed instead of the catapults. Because of the helipad, the available firing angles for the main guns were sharply narrowed and the experiment was therefore quickly abandoned and not attempted on any other ships of the class. The ships of the ''Albany'' class did have an area on the deck for helicopters to land, but no platform.