The Royal Navy selected an incomplete battleship hull whose machinery and structure were already advanced, then added the hangar, flight deck, and island required for aviation. That approach promised a quicker route to another carrier than beginning a large hull from scratch. Technical difficulty caused only part of the delay: designers still debated a flush deck against a starboard island while testing from Argus and Furious continued. The end of wartime urgency also forced the project to compete for peacetime funding and justify its layout through cost-benefit arguments. Eagle's procurement tempo depended on institutions, budgets, and the demand for proof alongside shipyard capability.
Chapter · 48:57-53:44
Eagle shows how war and peace change carrier procurement
HMS Eagle turns a partly built battleship into a carrier, but debate over flush and island decks helps delay commissioning until 1924.