Béarn was converted from a Normandie-class battleship hull originally intended to use turbine propulsion. Cost and supplier considerations instead produced two triple-expansion engines alongside one turbine. The compromise delivered neither the desired high speed nor the economy of a simpler arrangement. The carrier's aviation systems followed the same pattern, with many ingenious mechanisms creating slow operation and a heavy maintenance burden when combined. A robust solution that works most of the time can be more useful than a collection of specialized mechanisms that are individually impressive.
Notable Point · 4:14-6:10
Béarn combined a propulsion compromise with engineering overload
The converted carrier mixed turbine and reciprocating machinery, then accumulated individually clever aircraft systems that worked poorly as a whole.