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So I was reading recently about British and American experiments after world war one involving the concept of a flying aircraft carrier. Notably the British R 33 experiments and the American Akron class ships. The former of which only flew aircraft off as an experiment while the latter where dedicated airborne Aircraft carriers.
Basically my idea is that following the end of WWI some nation likely the United States given their success (If American airship history can be called a success) in the field, developed flying carriers for use as the mainstay scouting element for their battlefleet rather than aircraft carriers.
In my mind this would make some sense to the designers of the period. Heavier than air aircraft in the period were very lightly built and could easily be launched and recovered from an airship. Or indeed flown off from very short runways fitted to the turrets of some warships in both the American and British navies. An airship would be immune to any attack from a surface vessel or submarine. Something a carrier would be vulnerable to.
Airships would also be very fast and with their embarked aircraft could cover a very large stretch of ocean quickly. And unlike traditional scouts like destroyers an airship would be able to hover over an enemy battlefleet once spotted. Allowing for rapid and accurate intel on its movements to be delivered to friendly commanders easily and quickly.
Now this would not last. As heavier and heavier aircraft where developed making launch and recovery from an airship increasingly difficult the flying carrier would become increasingly obsolete. Likely being replaced by a flattop sometime in the mid to late thirties. However for a time such a ship could be very appealing to some navies.
That's just my impression and I freely admit myself to be anything but an expert of either airships or aircraft from the period so its possible I am missing a glaring weakness with my idea. But if so then please point it out.