Q&A ยท 13:12-14:43

How an Admiral-class carrier conversion might have worked

An Admiral-class carrier conversion might begin with a Lexington-scale air group and lose capacity as aircraft grew larger.

Question

What air group and design features might an Admiral-class carrier conversion have had, and how would it have performed in these raids?

Short answer

Probably a Lexington-scale early air group, later reduced as aircraft grew, on a British strength-deck carrier designed heavily around survivability.

Notes

An initial air group broadly comparable to Lexington's seems likely. That number would then fall as later aircraft grew within a fixed amount of hangar and deck space. Contemporary British discussions around Ark Royal make deck-edge lifts a plausible feature for an Admiral-class strike-carrier conversion. A strength flight deck also seems likely because Royal Navy design practice placed a high premium on protection, structural resilience, and the ability to add armor.