The study's nominal 60-aircraft figure described hangar capacity rather than a hard operational ceiling. British experiments showed that the North Sea could be too rough for exposed aircraft, while the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, much of the Pacific, and equatorial Atlantic offered more favorable conditions. Four to eight fighters could sit ready on deck, accompanied by a small number of patrol or anti-submarine aircraft for rapid response to a contact. Selective deck parking therefore increased both practical air-group strength and the speed of urgent launches.
Notable Point · 16:20-17:54
Deck parking could expand British carrier air groups
The nominal 60-aircraft capacity of the 1931 study could grow through selective deck parking outside the roughest operating areas.