British armored carriers and the reuse of design studies

Unicorn, Illustrious, and Implacable are traced to a common design study with related variants and room for additional hangars. The study included larger possibilities, described as extending toward Malta scale. Audacious raises a disagreement: one participant understands it as a fresh design, while Clarke argues that designers returned to a larger option in the original study after stretching the existing ships as far as they could. Reusing calculations could save months or years when design teams also faced demands for more anti-aircraft weapons, radar installations, and refits. A junior designer could therefore experience a new template as a fresh start while senior constructors knew its earlier ancestry. Different accounts of the design process can reflect those different viewpoints.