In the Falklands, the larger Hermes carried a greater share of the Harriers and Sea Harriers because she had more space. Invincible still contributed useful air power with her smaller group. Proposals to embark eighteen Sea Harriers and roughly as many Sea Kings on Invincible depended on deck parking and continuous flying. That would push the ship beyond its normal operating envelope, so the proposed total should not be mistaken for a routine embarked complement.
Notable Point · 43:40-45:03
Hermes and Invincible reveal the practical limits of air-group size
Hermes's greater capacity and ambitious proposals for overloading Invincible show why an aircraft total needs to be considered alongside the conditions required to operate it.