The 48-aircraft total does not include extra deck parking, so the larger hull may have room for even more aviation capacity. Deck-edge lifts would free useful hangar space for additional aircraft. The baseline remains conservative because the Royal Navy trusted centreline lifts in very rough North Sea conditions. Historical operating experience can outweigh the apparent efficiency of a foreign layout. A characteristically British compromise might retain one forward centreline lift and add one aft deck-edge lift. Sea conditions and institutional confidence shape carrier arrangements as strongly as geometry does.
Notable Point · 1:36:42-1:38:57
Deck-edge lifts compete with North Sea experience
A larger hull makes deck-edge lifts attractive, but Royal Navy confidence in centreline lifts during rough northern seas could produce a conservative mixed arrangement.