British Fleet Carriers
Entries in bold indicate photos.
Eagle Class
|
R05 Audacious / Eagle R09 Ark Royal R94 Eagle |
The Eagles were originally designed as repeats of the Implacables. However, it was
realised that the hangar would not be large enough for the new aircraft that were
expected, so the design was considerably enlarged.
They formed the backbone of the postwar carrier fleet, and were much modified. R94 Eagle was cancelled in 1946, and her name given to Audacious. A fourth ships, apparantly named Africa, was cancelled, and her name given to a Malta class ship. |
Malta Class
|
D06 Africa D68 Gibralter D93 Malta D43 New Zealand |
The Maltas were intended as followups to the Eagles. They featured a partially open
hangar to allow engine warmup, and would also have been the first British carriers
with deck edge lifts.
The end of the war meant that none would be laid down. |
Centaur Class
|
R07 Albion R08 Bulwark R06 Centaur R12 Hermes |
Design work on the Centaurs began in 1943 for what were intended as fast carriers
to operate with the Illustrious class. Based on the Colossus design, they featured
improved protection and twice the engine power.
Four other ships were planned - Arrogant, Hermes, Monmouth and Polyphemus were planned, but cancelled on 20th October 1945. The Hermes that was built was originally named Elephant. |
Queen Elizabeth Class
|
CVA02 Duke Of Edinburgh CVA01 Queen Elizabeth |
In the 1950s, the British carrier force consisted entirely of WW2 designs, albeit
modernised. The Queen Elizabeths would have introduced several new ideas, including
a open fantail for warming up aircraft engines without interfering in operations,
and a trackway outboard of the island for vehicles to move on.
Shipboard antiaircraft defence was limited to SeaDart, as the carriers own aircraft and the Type 82 destroyers were intended to provide air defence. Both ships would be cancelled by the 1966 Defence White paper. |
Invincible Class
|
R07 Ark Royal R06 Illustrious R05 Invincible |
With the running down of the conventional carrier fleet, the Navy was left without
a proper naval aviation wing. Against much political opposition, these through deck,
carriers, known as 'anti submarine cruisers' were pushed through, and the results
were vindicated in the Falklands.
Invincible and Illustrious have been refitted with Goalkeeper, and Ark Royal is currently refitting. |
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