Treaty carrier limits and the Lexington exception

Could 35,000-ton supercarriers have appeared under the London naval treaty system?

Treaty carriers were generally limited to 27,000 tons, while the larger Lexingtons used exceptions for battlecruiser conversions; the precise London limit is recalled with uncertainty.

The recalled treaty framework set a 27,000-ton ceiling for ordinary aircraft carriers. There is explicit uncertainty over whether the London Naval Treaty lowered the limit further. The Lexington-class carriers exceeded 27,000 tons because they were converted battlecruisers and could use exceptions unavailable to a new carrier design. A purpose-built 35,000-ton ship would therefore need a different treaty settlement or another exception. The distinction between ordinary construction and permitted conversions explains why the largest existing carriers did not establish a general limit.