The alternate-history essay resumes work on the incomplete Francesco Caracciolo and converts her after France decides to build a carrier. Financial constraints remove the three sister ships from the scenario. The conversion strips out the main-battery barbette structures and reuses magazine spaces for aviation fuel and ordnance. The designers reject the divided flying decks and central superstructure of early HMS Furious. Their proposed uninterrupted flight deck measures 188 by 28 metres, with the clear landing area balanced against the difficulty of navigating a ship without a conventional superstructure.
Chapter · 3:04:25-3:07:25
Essay: Francesco Caracciolo becomes an aircraft carrier
Steve Clark's alternate-history essay converts Francesco Caracciolo into a carrier with an uninterrupted flight deck in response to French naval aviation.