Q&A · 1:11:40-1:12:39

Eagle hangar height and carrier evolution

A carrier-design answer uses HMS Eagle's hangar height to explain how treaty absence could reshape British carrier size, survivability, and air-group choices.

Question

Without treaty limits, would Eagle's 20-foot hangar height become the Royal Navy standard for later carriers?

Short answer

The Royal Navy liked Eagle's hangar height and probably would copy it, but a no-treaty world changes carrier development more broadly.

Notes

The Royal Navy found Eagle's hangar height useful and probably would have copied it for later carriers. But the larger point is that without treaty limits, carrier development would not simply be the historical sequence with taller hangars. Admiral-class hulls and a different design path could give Britain carriers that combine striking power with the survivability needed for Mediterranean operations, even at some cost to aircraft numbers.