Ski jumps are considered unlikely because carriers already have assisted launch equipment. Carrier accelerators are distinguished from the catapults used aboard cruisers and capital ships. Hydraulic systems provide part of the development path towards steam catapults, with work already underway in the 1920s and 1930s. A larger construction programme could increase experience, but earlier arrival of mature steam catapults is considered doubtful.
Notable Point · 1:49:55-1:55:38
Why steam catapults do not arrive immediately
A larger carrier programme creates more experience with launch equipment, but it does not bypass the existing progression from hydraulic accelerators toward steam catapults.