Joffre displacement and twin-engine aircraft feasibility

Would French twin-engine aircraft have failed because Joffre displaced less than 20,000 tons?

Probably not. The quoted full-load figure appears too low. A comparison with the 1942 British light fleet carrier design puts Joffre at 22,000 to 23,000 tons fully loaded and leaves twin-engine operation plausible.

An objection assumes French twin-engine aircraft would have failed on a carrier said to displace less than 20,000 tons. Standard and full-load displacement are different measures, and an 18,000-ton standard ship is unlikely to be only 20,000 tons fully loaded. The comparison is a 1942 British light fleet carrier design at about 13,200 tons standard and 18,000 tons full load. Applying similar load growth puts Joffre nearer 22,000 to 23,000 tons fully loaded. On that basis, twin-engine operation appears plausible rather than automatically ruled out by size.