Battlecruisers as a logical continuation, not a crackpot scheme

Is the battlecruiser a crackpot scheme, or a reasonable development from armored cruisers?

Battlecruisers were a logical continuation of armored cruisers rather than a crackpot scheme, although their name shaped later perceptions.

The exchange distinguishes a disputed reputation from an unsound design lineage. The Invincible class and early battlecruisers were a logical continuation of armored-cruiser development rather than a sudden crackpot invention. Using an existing 12-inch gun could be simpler than creating an intermediate caliber when the older 9.2-inch weapon was no longer enough. Calling the ships frigates rather than battlecruisers might also have discouraged later expectations that they should fight as conventional battleships.