HMS Illustrious (R87) at sea in 1944.
The Illustrious-class aircraft carriers were a class of aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that included some of the most important British warships in World War II. They were laid down in the late 1930s as part of the rearmament of British forces in response to the emerging threats of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan.
Specifications[]
- Type: Aircraft Carrier
- Service Period: 1939-1959
- Characteristics:
- Length: 836 feet (254.81 meters)
- Beam: 96 feet (29.26 meters)
- Draft: 29 feet (8.84 meters)
- Displacement: 24,520 tons (Standard);
- Crew: 2,250
- Propulsion: 8 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 x geared steam turbines, 4 x shafts, 148,000 shp
- Range: 10,700 nautical miles (19,816.4 kilometers) at 10 knots (18.52 km/h)
- Speed: 32.7 knots (60.56 km/h)
- Sensor Suite:
- Type 277 Surface Search RDF
- Type 279 Early Warning RDF
- Type 281B Early Warning RDF
- Type 282 Fire Control RDF
- Type 285 Fire Control RDF
- Type 293 Target indicator RDF
- Armament:
- 16 x QF 4.5"/45-caliber Mk.III dual purpose guns (8x2)
- 64 x QF 2 pdr anti-aircraft gun (8x8)
- 64 x Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns (10x4, 12x2)
- Armour:
- Belt: 2.5-inches (63.5 mm)
- Flight Deck: 1.25-inches (31.75 mm)
- Bulkheads: 4-inches (101.6 mm)
- Hangar Deck: 4.5-inches (114.3 mm)
- Conning Tower: 4-inches (101.6 mm)
- Aircraft Carried: 80-90