Could an Alaska-class cruiser become a carrier?

Would the Alaska-class hull shape have produced too small an air group for carrier conversion?

No; the long hull could support a workable carrier, but the conversion would be costly and competed with advocates of the original large-cruiser design.

The hull form did not make conversion impossible: a hangar and flight deck could be built above the main deck while rerouting exhausts. The real obstacles were expense and the strong constituency that wanted the Alaska class completed in its original role. Its long hull offered enough deck length for a substantial air group, so hull shape was not the decisive objection. Technical feasibility did not overcome the US Navy's institutional preference for completing the large cruisers.