Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 55:42-56:23

Audacious-class scale for the jet carrier age

A forward-looking 1930s carrier should have Audacious-class size, an angled deck, and multiple catapults for heavier jets.

Aircraft CarriersAngled Flight DecksAudacious Class Aircraft CarriersJet AircraftNaval Aviation
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Question

What carrier would you design in the 1930s if you foresaw large jet fighters by the 1950s?

Short answer

An Audacious-class-sized carrier with an angled flight deck and multiple catapults.

Notes

A carrier designed to anticipate post-war aircraft growth would use an Audacious-class hull, an angled flight deck, and multiple catapults. That scale would better accommodate fighters growing toward the size and weight of contemporary bombers. Jet propulsion also increased the launch and recovery demands placed on the ship. Carrier designers therefore needed margins for future aircraft rather than a deck tailored only to the current generation.