PA9's specialized hangars left little room for aircraft growth

PA9 was optimized for the aircraft doctrine and technology current when it was drawn. A forward fighter hangar had its own takeoff ramp over the bow, while two large lifts served the larger aircraft and their hangar spaces. The arrangement divided hangar capacity into three zones, including one restricted to fighters, and left the main flight deck short of the full hull length. Later growth in fighter, torpedo-bomber and reconnaissance-aircraft dimensions would have undermined those assumptions. Accommodating the wartime generation of aircraft would have required a full-length flight deck and extensive hangar reconstruction. Otherwise, space reserved for particular aircraft types could have become unusable even while the ship struggled to carry and sustain an adequate air group.