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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
UNITED KINGDOM
AIRCRAFT CARRYING SHIPS
MAJESTIC light fleet aircraft carriers (1(5), 1948 - 1961)


Photo



Magnificent 1957

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Terrible 93   Devonport DYd 19.4.1943 30.9.1944 5.2.1949 // --- to Australia before completion12/1948 (Sydney)
Magnificent 21, 1948- R36 1228 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 29.7.1943 16.11.1944 21.5.1948 // 6.1957 to Canada before completion 4.1948 - 6.1957, stricken 1961
Powerful 95 1229 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 27.11.1943 27.2.1945 17.1.1957 // --- to Canada before completion 1952 (Bonaventure)
Majestic 77 885 Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow 15.4.1943 28.2.1945 8.11.1955 // --- to Australia before completion 1949 (Melbourne)
Hercules 49 61 Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne 12.10.1943 22.9.1945 4.3.1961 // --- to India before completion 1.1957 (Vikrant)
Leviathan 97 1703 Swan Hunter, Wallsend 18.10.1943 7.6.1945 --- suspended 5.1946, BU incomplete 1961


Technical data


Displacement standard, t

14000

Displacement full, t

17780

Length, m

192.0 pp 211.8 oa

Breadth, m

24.4

Draught, m

7.01 deep load

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Power, h. p.

40000

Max speed, kts

25

Fuel, t

oil 3000

Endurance, nm(kts)12000(14)
Armament

19 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 6 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 37 aircraft (Seafire, Firefly, Sea Hornet, Sea Fury fighters, Firebrand torpedo bombers)

Electronic equipment

type 79B, type 281B radars, type 144 sonar

Complement1300


Standard scale images


<i>Magnificent </i>1963
Magnificent 1963
<i>Bonaventure</i> (Canada) 1968
Bonaventure (Canada) 1968


Graphics


<i>Magnificent</i> 1957
Magnificent 1957


Aircraft facilities(fd - 5,131m², ha - 2,142m² / 11,355m³)

 (fd - 5,131m², ha - 2,142m² / 11,355m³): Flight deck: 210.3x24.4m; hangar: 135.6x15.8x 5.3m. Two lifts: 16.5x10.4m, 6.8t. 1 catapult BH-III (6.4t plane was launched at 122 km/h). Aircraft fuel stowage: 341,000l.

Project history

Improved version of war-built Colossus class with strengthened flight deck and reduced fuel and petrol stowage. Terrible and Magnificent were sold to Canada and Australia and completed under original design. Other ships were completed with many modifications. Incomplete Leviathan was cannibalized to provide spares for sister-ships.

Protection

There were mantlets around aircraft torpedoes warheads rooms only. Their thickness was 10mm. Longitudinal watertight bulkheads covered the machinery.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

Many thanks for Borys Estrin for additional information.