Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 58:31-59:16

Why HMS Furious carried fewer aircraft than Courageous and Glorious

Furious retained an awkward internal exhaust route and flush-deck arrangement, while the later reconstructions used islands and conventional funnels more efficiently.

Aircraft CarriersCourageous Class Warship LineageHMS FuriousRoyal Navy
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Question

Why did HMS Furious carry fewer aircraft than Courageous and Glorious?

Short answer

Her different conversion retained awkward internal exhaust routing and no conventional island, using space that the later reconstructions could devote to aviation.

Notes

A viewer asks why Furious carried fewer aircraft than Courageous and Glorious. The latter ships received more comprehensive reconstructions with island structures and funnels carrying smoke clear of the hangars and flight deck. Furious retained a flush-deck arrangement in which exhaust passages ran through or alongside internal aviation spaces before exiting aft. That difference consumed useful volume and helps explain why apparently related conversions produced different air-group capacities.