Could Nelson have become a fast six-gun battlecruiser?

Did the Royal Navy consider a Nelson-class battlecruiser with six guns, greater speed, and aviation space?

Not seriously; treaty tonnage forced a speed-or-armor choice, and British designers were likely to choose armor.

The Royal Navy did not seriously pursue the proposed fast six-gun Nelson variant. A hypothetical 40,000-ton treaty limit would have allowed a more useful fast capital ship, but tighter limits forced a difficult choice between speed and armour. British priorities were likely to favour protection because a ship unable to escape still needed to survive a fight. Removing a turret therefore did not eliminate the constraints imposed by displacement and treaty rules.