A carrier's aircraft capacity depends on the size of the machines it operates. Ark Royal, Courageous, and Glorious are compared using nominal complements of 72 aircraft and roughly 60 by the Second World War. Larger aircraft occupy more of the same deck and hangar space. Ark Royal's design-to-service interval illustrates how that pressure could develop within only a few years.
Notable Point · 23:49-24:20
How larger aircraft reduce a carrier's air-group capacity
Ark Royal, Courageous, and Glorious illustrate how aircraft growth could reduce a nominal 72-aircraft complement to roughly 60.