Alex Clarke recalls his father reviewing Type 23 flight-deck strength after production had begun. The strong points had been arranged for the Sea King's main wheels at the front and its smaller rear wheel. Merlin's undercarriage was arranged differently and gave a more balanced weight distribution. His account credits his father with changing the flight-deck structure to accommodate those different loads.
Notable Point · 2:49:25
Redesigning Type 23 flight-deck strength for Merlin
A change in helicopter undercarriage geometry forced naval architects to reconsider where a frigate flight deck carried landing loads.