A heavier Admiral class could have surpassed Hood

Would a roughly 40,000-ton limit have produced a better Admiral-class ship than Hood?

The later Admirals were probably headed toward about 45,000 tons standard and slightly greater speed than Hood.

The finalized designs remain uncertain, so the 45,000-ton figure is an estimate. Hood displaced roughly 42,000 tons standard in the comparison. Her three intended sisters would probably have been slightly heavier while matching or improving her speed. A 40,000-ton limit therefore does not fit the direction in which the later Admirals appear to have been developing.