Aircraft Carrier Victorious Detailed in the Original Builders' Plans

The technical details of British warships were recorded in a set of plans produced by the builders on completion of every ship. Known as the "as fitted" general arrangements, these drawings represented the exact appearance and fitting of the ship as it entered service. Intended to provide a permanent reference for the Admiralty and the dockyards, these highly detailed plans were drawn with exquisite skill in multi-colored inks and washes that represent the acme of the draughtsman's art. HMS Victorious was a ship with two almost separate incarnations - as built in 1941 she was one of a new type of armored aircraft carrier which saw arduous wartime service; post-war the ship underwent a massive reconstruction lasting nearly eight years that saw her recommission in 1958 as one of the best equipped carriers in the world.