Enterprise balanced speed, protection, and seaplane capability

Eight boilers and four geared turbines produced 80,000 shaft horsepower and 33 knots from a hull of roughly 7,700 tons standard displacement. Protection reached three inches amidships, tapering toward the bow and stern, with additional deck and steering coverage. The placement of portholes and gaps visible during construction helps explain where the main belt sat within the hull. A Fairey Seafox, crane, and catapult added reconnaissance capability despite the absence of a hangar, a limitation that later cruiser designs would address more systematically.