Why does the Invincible's ramp only have 7°?

Short answer

Because the Sea Dart missile launcher at the bow prevented it: the lower-than-ideal angle was due to its presence, and Invincible and Illustrious received 7° ramps. Ark Royal was built with 12°, the angle determined to be optimal. In the 1980s both were raised to 12°.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Why does the Invincible's ramp only have 7°?

Takeoff of a Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR 1

The occupied bow

A 7-degree ski-jump ramp was added to HMS Invincible, already completed, and to HMS Illustrious. The angle, lower than ideal, was due to the presence of the Sea Dart surface-to-air missile launcher in the bow. HMS Ark Royal, by contrast, was built from the start with a 12° ramp, an angle determined to be optimal.

Why the jump mattered

The comparatively short 170-metre (560 ft) flight deck left even fully loaded Harrier STOVL rolling takeoffs at the limit, and the development of the ramp made it possible to launch in any conditions by propelling the aircraft upward at the end of its takeoff run. Ark Royal, the last ship of the class, was not completed until 1985, and for that reason she also received a 40-foot deck extension; her ramp allowed her to launch a fully loaded Sea Harrier.

The later corrections

During the 1980s and early 1990s other improvements were introduced to the class, notably increasing the ramp's exit angle on Invincible and Illustrious to 12° to match Ark Royal. Later, in the mid-1990s refits, the Sea Dart was removed from all three ships and the forecastle was filled in to enlarge the flight deck. This gained deck parking space for aircraft, and the missile magazines were converted into additional stowage for air-to-surface weapons.