Oddly enough this is why a heli-carrier is more realistic given a suitable power plant. Granted that power plant would have to be some kind of sci-fi nuclear fi

Oddly enough this is why a heli-carrier is more realistic given a suitable power plant. Granted that power plant would have to be some kind of sci-fi nuclear fission or fusion reactor. Perhaps you could combine the two concepts and add hydrogen lift cells that would also serve as a hand wavy storage / expansion chamber for the hydrogen fuel used in the fusion reactor. Although if you are going all in on scifi concepts you might as well make it an orbital aircraft carrier that launches scramjet fighters capable of descending from orbit and then boosting back up to dock.