Modern terminology might call Unicorn's lower hangar a flex deck because it could serve as stores space, hold crated aircraft, or become a heavy-repair bay. Damaged machines could be stripped and rebuilt there without blocking movement through the main hangar. Machine shops and stores were placed around this flexible work area, while the aircraft lighter could deliver a non-flying aircraft directly to upper-hangar level. The lower hangar was longer than the upper one, and both were 16 feet 6 inches high. Those clearances exceeded the lower hangars of Indomitable and the Implacable class, giving maintainers more working room around aircraft designed for tighter fleet-carrier spaces.
Notable Point · 30:48-33:51
A flex deck and workshops built around damaged aircraft
Unicorn's unusually arranged hangars created room to store aircraft, isolate long repairs, and surround damaged machines with workshops and maintainers.