Unlike a fully converted escort carrier, a MAC ship remained a working merchant vessel with aviation facilities built over it. Early grain carriers displaced about 8,000 tons, made roughly 12 knots, and carried four aircraft; plans for lifts and hangars suggest that some design work preceded the wartime emergency. Their small air groups added convoy cover without removing scarce cargo capacity from the Atlantic supply system. The managing director who offered ships for conversion also helped the Admiralty work around Board of Trade resistance.
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How MAC ships preserved cargo capacity
Merchant aircraft carriers kept their commercial function while adding a flight deck and a tiny air group for convoy protection.