Q&A · 1:45:25-1:47:33

Could the Revenge class become faster Queen Elizabeth follow-ons?

A five-ship follow-on program could make the Revenges closer to improved Queen Elizabeths, with small-tube boilers offering a possible speed increase.

Naval Engineering Naval Procurement Queen Elizabeth Class Battleships Revenge Class Battleships Small Tube Boilers

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Question

Could the Revenge-class ships use small-tube boilers?

Short answer

Possibly: a smaller, less cost-constrained batch could develop as improved Queen Elizabeths and reach 23 or 24 knots.

Notes

The scenario removes some pressure to build the largest possible number of inexpensive battleships. Five Revenge-class ships could consequently follow the Queen Elizabeth design more closely. Small-tube boilers become a plausible option for this later batch. A speed of 23 or 24 knots would bring their operational performance closer to the Queen Elizabeths, although that result remains conditional.