Audacious-class aircraft carrier

	HMS Eagle
Class overview
Name	Audacious class
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Implacable class
Succeeded by	Malta class (cancelled); CVA-01 (cancelled); Invincible class;
Planned	4
Completed	2
Canceled	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:); 16 × 4.5 inch guns (8 × 2); 61 × 40 mm guns (8 × 6, 2 × 2, 9 × 1); Post-1964 re-fit:; 8 × 4.5 inch guns (4 × 2); 6 × Seacat SAM missile launchers; Ark Royal (As built:); 16 × 4.5 inch guns (8 × 2); 52 × 40 mm (6 × 6, 2 × 2, 12 × 1); 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.