Japanese carrier experiments expose aircraft-growth risk

Japan initially pursued large, fast carriers with multiple flying-off decks so aircraft could land above while fighters and strike aircraft launched from lower hangars. The arrangement promised rapid air-group operations but became less sustainable as aircraft grew larger. Akagi and Kaga initially combined stable hulls with lightweight hangar and flight-deck structures, which came under greater strain as aircraft grew heavier. Aircraft and carrier design had to develop together, with enough room for growth but without committing everything to a predicted future. Early ideas for Hermes included a stern ramp or telescoping crane to recover seaplanes that landed alongside, yet the Royal Navy hedged its bets instead of building exclusively around that concept. A seaplane-only Hermes is a counterfactual warning about excessive specialization. Hōshō faced the opposite limitation by the Second World War: newer aircraft were too heavy for her flight deck, restricting her to second-line training types.