How useful would a 9,000- to 10,000-ton class of seaplane tenders be?
Short answerThe tenders would be numerous and deliberately convertible, with trunking, removable superstructure, hangar levels, and a deck-edge lift arranged to accept a wartime flight deck quickly.
NotesThe proposal calls for dozens of tenders whose internal arrangements anticipate conversion from the beginning. A deck-edge elevator could handle seaplanes at water level in normal service and later serve a full flight deck after the upper structure was removed. Reserve aviation capacity can be embedded in a useful peacetime auxiliary instead of stored as an idle carrier hull.