British 16-foot hangars leave inadequate working clearance, especially when rotors must be removed or lifted for maintenance. The scenario treats 18 feet as the practical minimum, while 20 feet would provide a more sensible standard already demonstrated by Eagle and Lexington. Raising two hangar decks makes an already tall ship such as Ark Royal less stable, so designers may need longer hulls, more volume low in the ship, and lighter high-pressure machinery. Those demands could pull 600-psi steam plants into service and influence later cruisers or battleships as the machinery matures. Larger lifts and hangars then make bigger fixed-wing aircraft, including twin-engine types such as the Sea Hornet, easier to operate as an unintended benefit.
Chapter · 1:15:45-1:28:51
Helicopter height forces carrier redesign
Fifteen-foot helicopters require roughly 18- to 20-foot maintenance hangars, upsetting the height, weight, stability, and machinery balance of treaty carriers.