Aircraft overwhelmed destroyer-sized margins

Could Second World War destroyers carry and operate aircraft?

Experiments showed that they could, but aircraft, equipment, and specialist personnel consumed enough space that a cruiser-sized platform was generally more practical.

American and Swedish experiments showed that aircraft could be put on destroyer-sized vessels. The American examples are recalled tentatively as a couple of Fletcher-class ships. An aircraft and the additional personnel needed to look after it consumed substantial space. Cruiser-sized accommodation was consequently judged more practical for a useful aviation capability.