Akagi's lifts limit D4Y and B6N aircraft

Could Akagi operate later D4Y and B6N aircraft if they did not fit all of her lifts?

Not effectively without modifying the lifts, and that alteration would be difficult and time-consuming.

Carrier compatibility depends on moving D4Y and B6N aircraft between the hangar and flight deck, rather than simply finding enough deck or storage space. An aircraft that cannot fit a lift cannot be handled through the normal operational cycle. Akagi's lift design might be altered, but the work would be neither easy nor quick. The navy would have to value the newer aircraft highly enough to justify a substantial refit instead of assigning types the ship can already support.