CVA-01 was designed around familiar Phantom, Buccaneer, Gannet, Sea King, and Wessex operations, but its planners also had to anticipate their successors. A carrier built in small numbers might serve through two or three generations of aircraft without the benefit of a continuous shipbuilding programme. Larger jets and helicopters consume more hangar and deck space, while transitional air groups may require stores for two aircraft types at once. Medium powers must protect growth margin or accept a shrinking air group as technology changes.
Chapter · 29:11-33:16
Leaving room for larger successor aircraft
The design sought growth margin because a long-lived carrier must accommodate larger aircraft, changing stores, and new squadrons.