What a larger Invincible-class carrier could provide

Why was the Invincible class not built to the larger design, and what would the upsize have changed?

Government selected a smaller option; the next size up could have supported a substantially larger air group and more flexible operations.

The proposed larger design could carry about 24 Sea Harriers and 24 Sea Kings because added beam and length expand both rows and depth in the hangar. Carrier size is tied directly to how many aircraft can be arranged across and along the hangar rather than to an abstract tonnage preference. This would improve the range of missions and the resilience of the task group. Helicopter airborne early warning was already under development before the Falklands War, though funding and deployment lagged behind the technical work.