Why deck-edge lifts remain a difficult tradeoff

Would small carrier tonnage and growing aircraft lead the Royal Navy to adopt deck-edge lifts earlier?

Possibly, but fear of heavy seas entering the hangar would continue to weigh against the design.

Larger aircraft put pressure on lift size and hangar arrangements, so a long scout-carrier building programme supplies both the need and the experience to test deck-edge lifts. British reluctance nevertheless has an operational basis rather than simple conservatism. North Sea, North Atlantic, and South Atlantic service exposes carriers to waves capable of driving water through openings into the hangar. Earlier adoption remains plausible, but larger air groups have to be balanced against the risk of seawater entering the hangar.