WesWorld

Preliminary design for a modern RCN carrier.

HMCS Bonaventure, Canadian Aircraft Carrier laid down 1933

Displacement:
19,562 t light; 20,067 t standard; 21,986 t normal; 23,521 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
725.29 ft / 720.00 ft x 95.00 ft x 25.00 ft (normal load)
221.07 m / 219.46 m x 28.96 m x 7.62 m

Armament:
8 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns in single mounts, 83.19lbs / 37.73kg shells, 1933 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side ends, evenly spread
32 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (4x8 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1933 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships
32 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns (16x2 guns), 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1933 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 736 lbs / 334 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 3.00" / 76 mm 480.00 ft / 146.30 m 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 103 % of normal length

- Armour deck: 2.50" / 64 mm, Conning tower: 5.00" / 127 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 110,008 shp / 82,066 Kw = 32.00 kts
Range 10,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,454 tons

Complement:
902 - 1,173

Cost:
£5.723 million / $22.893 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 92 tons, 0.4 %
Armour: 3,155 tons, 14.4 %
- Belts: 975 tons, 4.4 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armour Deck: 2,096 tons, 9.5 %
- Conning Tower: 85 tons, 0.4 %
Machinery: 3,205 tons, 14.6 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 7,509 tons, 34.2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,424 tons, 11.0 %
Miscellaneous weights: 5,600 tons, 25.5 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
35,883 lbs / 16,276 Kg = 431.4 x 5.5 " / 140 mm shells or 3.5 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.15
Metacentric height 6.0 ft / 1.8 m
Roll period: 16.3 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 68 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.04
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.36

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.450
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.58 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 31.56 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 53 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 10.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Mid (50 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Stern: 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
- Average freeboard: 24.48 ft / 7.46 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 78.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 229.7 %
Waterplane Area: 45,322 Square feet or 4,211 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 138 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 118 lbs/sq ft or 579 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.96
- Longitudinal: 1.36
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

Upper hangar deck: 568' x 60' x 16'; 34 aircraft carried
Lower hangar deck: 452' x 60' x 16'; 26 aircraft carried
12 disassembled spares in storage

Why not just order an Ark Royal class ship from the UK?

Despite the fact that it is a tads smaller than RLBH's Ark Royal, she's still a powerful ship, and easily capable of challenging most carriers already in service.

Now, where's the order form for another 100 Sopwith Odin's for Vinland?

Two reasons

A) Treaty issues

B) Canada sees no reason to introduce the 4.7" caliber guns into it's logistics system when it's convinced itself to make the best of a bad deal (all the 5.5" guns donated by the RN) by forcing weightlifters to work as guncrews for it's DP 5.5" project.

RCN Recruiting pitch:

Another carrier named for that bird sanctuary?

Could be the saint.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02648c.htm

He has a Canada connection. A quickie from Wikki:

Quoted

Namesakes of St. Bonaventure
Ventura, California and Ventura County, California are named for Saint Bonaventure, as is Bonaventure, Quebec.

St. Bonaventure University, the largest Franciscan university in the English-speaking world, is located in Western New York. St. Bonaventure's College is a private Roman Catholic school located in Newfoundland . And St. Bonaventure College and High School is located in Hong Kong. St. Bonaventure's Catholic Comprehensive School is located in Forest Gate, London. There is a church in Toronto, Ontario named for St. Bonaventure with a Catholic school next door of the same name.

Maybe Shinra is throwing a bone to Canada's Catholic population with the name?

BTW, I agree with Earl on the Ark Royal, but build one. Just order a modified version with Canada's preferred flavors of AA..

I'm going to go out on a limb and make an alternate suggestion, HMCS William Barker. A snippet from (where else?) Wikipedia:

Quoted

He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on day 10, Sunday, October 27, 1918. While delivering his Snipe to an aircraft depot, he crossed enemy lines at 21,000 feet above the Foret de Mormal. He attacked an enemy two-seater which broke up, its crew escaping by parachute. By his own admission he was careless and was then bounced by a formation of Fokker D.VIIs. In a descending battle against 15 or more enemy machines, Barker was three times wounded in the legs, then his left elbow was blown away, yet he managed to control his Snipe and shoot down or drive down three more enemy aircraft. The dogfight took place immediately above the lines of the Canadian Corps and it is estimated 100,000 watched the latter stage of his aerial battle from the ground. Severely wounded and bleeding to death, his life was saved by the men of an RAF Kite Balloon Section, who got him to a field dressing station.

He clung to life until mid-January 1919 in the hospital at Rouen, France, and then was transported back to England. He was not fit enough to walk the necessary few paces for the investiture at Buckingham Palace until March 1, 1919.

His official wartime record was 1 aircraft captured, 2 (and 7 shared) balloons destroyed, 33 aircraft (and 2 shared) destroyed, 5 aircraft 'out of control'.

Barker returned to Canada in May of that year as the most decorated Canadian soldier of the war, with the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Military Cross and two Bars, the French Croix de guerre and two Italian Silver Medals for Valour. He was also mentioned in dispatches three times. No one in Canadian military history has matched his record of decorations awarded and hence he is the most decorated soldier in Canadian history.

He suffered from the physical effects of his 1918 gunshot wounds, and struggled with alcoholism in the last few years of his life. He died in 1930 near Ottawa when he lost control of his Fairchild KR-21 biplane trainer during a demonstration flight to the RCAF. Barker, aged 35, was at the time the president and general manager of Fairchild Aircraft in Montreal.

Quoted

BTW, I agree with Earl on the Ark Royal, but build one. Just order a modified version with Canada's preferred flavors of AA..

The problem there is that Ark Royal isn't going to fit Canada's CT allocations as well. Keep in mind that Canada's limited to only 40,000 tons of carriers, so a 22,000 ton carrier is a singleton, while a 20,000 ton carrier can be built in a class of 2 ships.

I thought Canada had parity with Australia, thus 45,000tons.

You're right, bad memory on my part, 45,000 tons it is. So two Ark Royals would fit nicely, and Hermes could be converted into a training carrier.

It might be easier to build two Arks, but if Canada can get what it wants on 20,000 t, why spend any more? Those remaining 5,000 t can go towards a cruiser he may need more.

To be lost on her third mission? Robert April won't be pleased with that news. He'll have to work on his "Magna Carta"-class...or maybe the NX.

Quoted

HMCS William Barker

That's a great idea, Rocky.

I'd also suggest HMCS Silver Dart, after Canada's first plane.

Another famous aircraft that could be honored is La Vigilance. She's supposed to be the first plane to undertake a "bush" flight.

John McCurdy and Frederick Baldwin, Canada's aviation pioneers, could fit the bill as well.

Barker should definitely be the first choice if going with WWI aviators. A couple others I'd suggest would be Billy Bishop and AA McLeod who also won the VC. Bishop had 72 kills.

Indeed, but Barker was, I think, the most prominent deceased Canadian aviator as of 1933...

Actually, Bonaventure is one of the historical RCN carrier names. So you'd have to ask a Canadian how that came up. o.O

April needs to work on his Empress....I just haven't decided what it'll be yet

As a Canuck, my understanding is Bonaventure was named for a bird sanctuary - perhaps an inside joke, perhaps a political ("It sounds nice and not war-like") decision. Either way, the name has no real historical significance to Canadians otherwise; you might as well call her HMCS Thelon or HMCS Queen Maud...

how about HMCS Prince Valium and HMCS Princess Vespa ?

Maybe it can make a name for itself, and thus ensure many vessels in the future will bare the name, Bonaventure.

HMCS Pansy

Don't anyone suggest Pinafore, Troutbridge or Cromwell.

Quoted

Don't anyone suggest Pinafore, Troutbridge or Cromwell.

How about "Bounty" to reflect the, uh, vast resources Canada posses?

ShinRa, if you want to remind to your southern neighbor of the last time he incurred into Canada, you could call them the "Battle" class, Quebec and Montreal. Or Lake Ontario and Lake Erie...

Quoted

Originally posted by Red Admiral
Don't anyone suggest Pinafore

All together now:

When I was a lad I serv'd a term
As office boy to an Attorney's firm...