HMS Eagle |
| Class overview |
|---|
| Name | Audacious class |
| Operators | Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Implacable class |
| Succeeded by | |
| Planned | 4 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Cancelled | 2 |
| Retired | 2 |
| General characteristics |
|---|
| Type | Aircraft carrier |
| Displacement | 36,800 tons (as built) |
| Length | 804 ft (245 m) |
| Beam |
- Ark Royal
- 112 ft (34 m) (as built)
- Eagle
- 135 ft (41 m)
|
| Draught | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Propulsion |
- 8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers in 4 boiler rooms
- 4 sets of Parsons geared turbines, 4 shafts
- Power: 152,000 shp (113,000 kW)
|
| Speed |
- Eagle
- 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
- Ark Royal
- 31.5 knots (58.3 km/h; 36.2 mph)
|
| Range |
- Eagle
- 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
- Ark Royal
- 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
- 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 24 kn (44 km/h; 28 mph)
|
| Armament |
- Eagle (As built:)
- Post-1964 re-fit:
- Ark Royal (As built:)
- 1969 refit: none
|
| Armour |
- Eagle
- Waterline belt: 4 in (100 mm)
- Armoured flight deck: 1–4 in (25–102 mm)
- Hangar side: 1 in (25 mm)
- Hangar deck: 1 in (25 mm)
|
| Aircraft carried |
- Eagle (As built:)
- 60
- Post-1964: 45
- Ark Royal (As built:)
- 50
- 38 after 1967–1970 refit
|
The Audacious-class aircraft carriers were a class of aircraft carriers proposed by the British government in the 1930s – 1940s and completed after the Second World War. The two ships built were heavily modified and diverged over their service lives. They were in operation from 1951 until 1979.
