Carrier design could lag behind carrier doctrine

Aircraft-carrier doctrine could change during the years required to design and build a ship, turning a predicted white elephant into a useful carrier or an apparent ideal into a disappointment. Early construction also consumed treaty tonnage when institutional understanding was least mature. Conversions inherited compromises from the hull's original purpose and from how much construction had already been completed. A gunship's weight distribution, balance, and metacentric height were not designed for hangars and a flight deck.