Winchester Castle shows that prewar conversion studies were not limited to austere four-aircraft convoy ships. At about 20,000 tons and 192 metres long, the proposed conversion was nearly the length of Unicorn and approached the scale of a purpose-built carrier. British planners considered such merchant hulls for ferrying aircraft to distant fleets as well as convoy protection and other operations. That breadth made the idea attractive, but it also placed the proposal inside the same resource debate over whether to convert a commercial ship or build a more capable specialized carrier.
Notable Point · 44:20-45:39
Winchester Castle shows the scale of a multi-role conversion
The 20,000-ton Winchester Castle study approached Unicorn in length and promised aircraft ferrying, convoy protection, and other aviation tasks from one merchant conversion.