Editing Illustrious-class aircraft carrier (section)

{{Short description|Royal Navy aircraft carrier class}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=File:HMS Illustrious (ca. 1954) (20921205028).jpg
|Ship caption=[[HMS Illustrious (87)|HMS ''Illustrious'']] in 1954
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=
|Builders=[[Vickers-Armstrongs]] (3), [[Harland & Wolff]] (1)
|Operators={{navy|United Kingdom}}
|Class before={{HMS|Ark Royal|91|6}}
|Class after=[[Implacable-class aircraft carrier|''Implacable'' class]]
|Subclasses={{HMS|Indomitable|R92|6}}
|Cost=
|Built range=
|In service range= 
|In commission range=1940–1968
|Total ships planned=6
|Total ships completed=4
|Total ships scrapped=4
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= (''Illustrious'', as built)
|Ship type=Aircraft carrier
|Ship displacement={{convert|23000|LT|t}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])
|Ship length=*{{convert|740|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} ([[Length overall|o/a]])
* {{convert|710|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} ([[waterline]])
|Ship beam={{convert|95|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship draught={{convert|28|ft|10|in|m|1|abbr=on}} ([[deep load]])
|Ship propulsion=3 shafts; 3 geared [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed={{convert|30.5|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship power=* 6 [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s
*{{convert|111000|shp|kW|abbr=on|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|10700|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn}}
|Ship complement=1,229
|Ship sensors=1 × [[Type 79 radar|Type 79]] [[early warning radar|early-warning radar]]
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*8 × twin [[QF 4.5 inch naval gun|QF 4.5-inch]] [[dual-purpose gun]]s
* 6 × octuple [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|QF 2-pdr]] [[anti-aircraft gun]]s
|Ship armour=*[[Belt armor|Waterline belt]]: {{convert|4.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Flight deck]]: {{convert|3|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkheads]]: {{convert|4.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Hangar]] sides: {{convert|4.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Magazine (artillery)|Magazines]]: {{convert|3|-|4.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}

|Ship aircraft=36–57
|Ship aircraft facilities=1 [[aircraft catapult|catapult]]
}}
|}

The '''''Illustrious'' class''' was a [[ship class|class]] of [[aircraft carrier]] of the [[Royal Navy]] that included some of the most important British warships in the [[World War II|Second World War]]. They were laid down in the late 1930s as part of the [[British re-armament|rearmament]] of British forces in response to the emerging threats of [[Nazi Germany]], [[Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)|Fascist Italy]] and [[Imperial Japan]].

The ''Illustrious'' class comprised four vessels: [[Her Majesty's Ship|HM Ships]] [[HMS Illustrious (R87)|''Illustrious'']], [[HMS Formidable (R67)|''Formidable'']], [[HMS Victorious (R38)|''Victorious'']] and [[HMS Indomitable (R92)|''Indomitable'']]. The last of these was built to a modified design with a second, half-length, hangar deck below the main hangar deck. Each of these ships played a prominent part in the battles of the Second World War. ''Victorious'' took part in the pursuit of the [[German battleship Bismarck|German battleship ''Bismarck'']], ''Illustrious'' and ''Formidable'' played prominent parts in the battles in the [[Mediterranean Theatre of World War II|Mediterranean]] during 1940 and 1941 and all three took part in the large actions of the [[British Pacific Fleet]] in 1945.

The later two ships of the [[Implacable-class aircraft carrier|''Implacable'' class]] were also built to modified designs to carry larger [[Carrier air wing|air wings]]. {{HMS|Implacable|R86|2}} and {{HMS|Indefatigable|R10|2}} both had two hangar levels, albeit with a limited {{convert|14|ft|m|1|adj=on}} head room.