The design of the Light Fleet Aircraft Carriers was intended to fill the gap between the large and highly capable fleet carriers and the much smaller and less capable escort carriers. Due to pressure of work, the design of these aircraft carriers was developed by Vickers-Armstrong rather than by members of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors. The shipbuilders chose to make it as simple as possible and to adopt mercantile building standards in order to reduce the construction time to a minimum.
The basic design of the 1942 Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier.
The main characteristics of the original design were as follows:
- Displacement: 13,190 tons (Standard); 18,040 tons (Full load)
- Dimensions:
- Length: 695ft (212m) overall; 690ft (210m) flight deck
- Beam: 80ft (24m)
- Draught: 23ft 6in (7.16m)
- Propulsion: 4 Admiralty three-drum boilers providing steam to 2 sets of Parson’s steam turbines, each driving a propeller
- Speed: 25 knots
- Armament: 6 × 4-barrelled 2-pounder anti-aircraft guns; 16 x twin 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns
It was expected that the sixteen ships that were planned to be built would have an operational life of three years and would be scrapped once the war was over.
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