Completing a hull and fitting out a heavily armed warship were separate problems. Courageous, Glorious, and Furious all entered the water during 1916, but their historical completion required heavy guns and associated systems that a carrier would not need. Early aviation arrangements could be rudimentary, even handling fuel in drums, so the ships would not have to wait for later safety and efficiency standards. That expedient would be hazardous, but it could speed completion. The earlier date follows from fitting out a less gun-intensive version of hulls already being built quickly.
Notable Point · 59:01-1:00:16
Carrier hulls could finish before their gunship counterparts
Removing heavy turrets and their fitting-out work could bring Courageous-type carriers into service earlier than the historical large light cruisers.