The extra displacement Invincible-class carriers needed

What would the designers of through-deck cruisers think of today's enormous destroyers?

They would question the mission, while the Invincible class itself would have benefited from roughly 5,000-6,000 extra tons and better lifts.

The answer estimates that the Invincible class needed roughly five to six thousand additional tons. Most of that displacement should have gone into a longer hull rather than simply thicker protection or more weapons. Extra length would have created room for better aircraft-lift arrangements and a more useful flight deck. The proposed growth is therefore tied directly to aviation operations, not size for its own sake.