After conversion, Furious was 786 feet long, displaced about 22,450 tons, and carried a much larger air group than Britain's first carriers. Her 90,000 shaft horsepower produced a top speed of 31 knots, while ten 5.5-inch guns, three 4-inch guns, and roughly 35 aircraft gave her substantial capability for 1925. The arrangement was effectively flush-decked except for a small control position forward and to starboard. Nothing rivaled her combination of size, speed, and air-group capacity until the Japanese and American battlecruiser conversions entered service about two years later. Her brief lead captures the pace of interwar carrier development.
Chapter · 18:39-20:42
Furious briefly becomes the leading carrier
HMS Furious's 1925 configuration combined 31-knot speed, a 35-aircraft group, and an almost flush deck, giving her a brief lead over rival carriers.