How different would Invincible have been if it followed an upgraded Hermes design?
Short answerIt could have been a much larger carrier with significantly more hangar space, aviation fuel, and aircraft capacity.
NotesThe roughly 22,000-ton full-load Invincible class is compared with the larger Centaur-derived HMS Hermes. Designing a successor around 30,000 tons could have produced much more hangar volume and aviation-fuel capacity without proportionally enlarging every machinery space. An air group of roughly thirty-six to forty-eight Sea Harriers and Sea Kings might have been possible, against the much smaller normal Invincible complement. The exact number is counterfactual, but the direction of the trade is clear: more displacement buys protected aircraft capacity and endurance. Carrier size determines whether a ship meets a minimum requirement or sustains much greater aviation power.