HMCS Magnificent circa 1950.
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History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name: | Magnificent |
Ordered: | 16 October 1942 |
Builder: | Harland and Wolff, Belfast |
Yard number: | 1228 |
Laid down: | 29 July 1943 |
Launched: | 16 November 1944 |
Fate: | Loaned to Canada, 1948 |
Canada | |
Name: | Magnificent |
Acquired: | January 1945 |
Commissioned: | 21 March 1948 |
Decommissioned: | 14 June 1957 |
Struck: | 1961 |
Homeport: | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
Identification: | CVL 21 |
Motto: | "We stand on guard" |
Nickname(s): | "The Maggie" |
Honours and awards: |
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Fate: | Returned to UK, scrapped in Faslane, July 1965 |
Badge: | Purpure, a sun in splendour or on which a maple leaf gules |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Majestic-class aircraft carrier |
Displacement: | 15,700 long tons (16,000 t; 17,600 short tons) |
Length: | 698 ft (212.75 m) |
Beam: | 80 ft (24.38 m) |
Draught: | 25 ft (7.62 m) |
Propulsion: | 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (30,000 kW) |
Speed: | 24 knots (44.4 km/h) |
Complement: | 1100 (including air group) |
Sensors and processing systems: |
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Armament: |
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Aircraft carried: | 37 - Fairey Firefly and Hawker Sea Fury |
HMCS Magnificent (CVL 21) was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier that served the Royal Canadian Navy from 1948–1957. Initially ordered by the Royal Navy during the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Navy acquired the carrier as a larger replacement for its existing carrier. She was generally referred to as the Maggie in Canadian service. Following its return to the United Kingdom in 1956, the ship remained in reserve until being scrapped in 1965.
The 1942 Design Light Fleet carrier was divided into two groups of which the Majestic class was one. The Majestic class was intended to be similar in design to the preceding Colossus class but with reduced storage for petrol and fuel, down to 75,000 gallons. This was to compensate for the strengthening of the deck in order to operate heavier aircraft up to 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg). Further improvements over the Colossus class included larger lifts (54 by 34 feet (16 m × 10 m)) and improvements made to internal subdivisions for survivability purposes and accommodations.
The third ship of the Majestic class, Magnificent was ordered 16 October 1942. The order was placed with Harland and Wolff in Belfast who were also constructing sister ships Glory and Warrior. She was laid down 29 July 1943 and launched on 16 November 1944.
The ship was 698 feet (212.75 m) long with a beam of 80 ft (24.38 m) and a draught of 25 ft (7.62 m). The carrier displaced 15,700 long tons (16,000 t; 17,600 short tons) and had a complement of 1100 (including the air group). Majestic-class carriers were fitted out with Type 281, Type 293 and two Type 277 radar installations.