Tarawa Class LHA -> CVL

[bcyc 18]

The Tarawa class was never really designed as an aircraft carrier, but nonetheless it resembles one. It's also about the same length as the Essex Class. So what if after being retired these boats were refitted with angled decks and catapults for export? There could be a whole new generation of second hand pocket carriers for small navies the world over. Ok, so you'd have to get rid of the well deck and massively re-engineer the whole thing in order to be effective, but what the heck. A little bit of work in GIMP and here's what I came up with. Not that shabby! I reckon it would look pretty decent if it had a sponson for the angled deck similar to the SCB-125s.

[+whiteknight06604 931]

I don't think it would be impossible but I wonder if it would be cost prohibitive. anyone interested in something like this might not want to pay the massive costs for such an extensive conversion.

[bcyc 18]

I'm sure it would be, but if the Indians were willing to rebuild a Kiev-class ship, which wasn't much more than a cruiser with a flight deck bolted on, into a STOBAR carrier, it's at least a remotely plausible way to have more carriers to play with in the game. I've been having fun flying Canadian hornets off it on the Iceland map.

[+daddyairplanes 8,636]

reworking the below deck spaces to accomodate the catapults and arresting gear would be what makes it cost prohibitive. the INS Vikramaditya  was the equivalent of fixing up an old 70s muscle car to look and function like it did out of the factory(body work, engine rebuild). This project would be more like taking the same muscle car and trying to make it a RV camper.  anything could be done, but the ones that would want second hand couldnt afford it.

 

IRL much better bet would be to refurb and sell as Harrier Carriers. most of the Foreign Military Sale money would actually be for McDD AV-8s to equip the air wings,  better fit to the smaller coastal navies that would pick them up, and you dont have the rip up the ship to install alot of new  bulky gear.

 

in game however do what you do!