A Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov has an interesting aspect: the edge of the runway is raised, which “pushes” the plane in the air during the takeoff. Looking at takeoff videos, the curved edge seems very natural.

[![Admiral Kuznetsov][1]][1]

All USA aircraft carriers I can think of have an absolutely flat deck, similarly to, for instance, USS Abraham Lincoln:

[![USS Abraham Lincoln][2]][2]

[The Admiral Kuznetsov's curved deck provides benefits][3], so why were most carriers not built the same way?


  [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/an5Fn.jpg
  [2]: https://i.sstatic.net/QaQc1.jpg
  [3]: http://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/27584/how-does-the-ski-shape-of-an-aircraft-carrier-deck-help-for-take-off