Carrier limits in a battlecruiser treaty

The historical carrier ceiling reflected the size and speed of ships likely to threaten or accompany carriers. At this early stage, flight operations still involved light aircraft, deck wires, and sailors physically helping to catch landing aircraft, so designers were not yet optimizing for the later demands of heavy air groups. In this alternate settlement, battlecruisers remain an active category, forcing carriers to keep pace with faster ships and survive pursuit by them. The carrier question therefore cannot be treated separately from the capital-ship settlement. Japanese construction choices could also determine whether Akagi becomes a carrier or remains a capital-ship project.