malta class aircraft carrier malta class aircraft carrier british large aircraft carrier design world war ships ordered royal_navy changing tactical concepts based american experience pacific war caused repeated changes design completed end war ships cancelled laid background july royal_navy formed chaired deputy sea lord examine fleet requirements rest war tasked anticipating navy readiness requirements january committee realised major expansion naval aviation required meant aircraft carriers needed factors combined drive size new carriers notably increasing size speed aircraft desire increase numbers aircraft aboard fleet carriers important consideration change carrier tactics earlier doctrine attacks smaller numbers aircraft use large single sir director naval construction proposed variety designs open closed hangar october selected closed hangar design armoured flight deck propeller shafts reports american operations pacific convinced board reconsider hangar design american experience shown ability fly carrier aircraft single vital required open hangar design reduce time required launch aircraft allowing begin typical minute engine warm hangar board reversed ordered produce open hangar design deck edge lifts flight deck agreed june controller navy lord new design feet long waterline known design submitted board august approved october concerns arose size design problems asked smaller designs feet shorter feet shorter design short efficient operations larger aircraft committee anticipated sea lord selected submitted board april fully worked anticipation approval came board minutes august noted consideration design postponed description design received final approval malta class size american midway class aircraft carriers feet length overall feet waterline beam feet inches waterline draught feet deep load ships displaced long tons standard load long tons deep load metacentric heights estimated feet standard load feet deep load complement expected consist officers enlisted men foot flight deck maximum width feet inches flight deck required expansion joint amidships island single structure split section funnel allowed islands reduced provided space radars fire control directors carriers fitted cables designed stop landing aircraft pounds weight speeds knots mph backed crash prevent landing aircraft crashing aircraft parked ship bow positioned forward flight deck newly designed hydraulic aircraft intended launch fully laden aircraft knots mph ships designed pound lifts feet deck edge feet facilitate rapid movement aircraft flight deck hangar feet long maximum width feet feet inches high accommodate american aircraft designed height case fire hangar intended divided sliding steel doors hangar spaces deck park malta class capable aircraft aircraft ships provided imperial gallons gal aviation gasoline propulsion ships parsons double reduction geared steam turbines driving shaft steam supplied admiralty drum boilers boilers distributed boiler compartments turbines single compartment aft turbines designed produce total shp maximum speed knots mph malta class designed carry maximum long tons fuel oil diesel fuel emergency generators intended ships range nautical miles knots mph nautical miles knots mph armament ships main armament intended sixteen quick firing inch dual purpose guns powered vii twin gun turrets hull gun maximum range yards elevation ceiling feet light anti aircraft armament consisted guns powered mounts seven single mounts unknown type gun maximum range yards ceiling feet electronics august study anticipated ships carry early warning radars including height surface search radars gunnery fire control radars historian wrote mount type early warning type intercept type height finding type target indication radars addition number gunnery radars needed protection inches hangar deck armour reduction inch called original configuration waterline armour belt inches thick covered central portion ship form armoured citadel belt closed inch transverse bulkheads fore aft half inches armour extended feet forward feet aft belt protect waterline splinter damage underwater defense system layered system air filled compartments backed inclined holding bulkhead inches thick tapered thickness inches estimated resist pound explosive charge earlier version estimated able resist pound charge failed pound charge scale test magazines inch guns steering gear lay outside armoured citadel armour magazines inch roofs sides inch ends steering gear inch roof inch sides ends ordering cancellation design finalised ships ordered july africa originally ordered unnamed class carrier order modified malta class ship july malta new_zealand gibraltar ordered days later new_zealand originally ordered contract transferred july admiralty ordered vickers order material april given final drawings issued builders unlikely actually preliminary work ships laid cancelled end ships
Malta-class aircraft carrier