And despite work being greatly sped up, the war was won before she could be finished.
HMS Illustrious did perform a useful service in the aftermath of the Falklands War.
She was the fifth warship and the second aircraft carrier to have the name Illustrious.
The crew of HMS Illustrious knew her by the affectionate nickname Lusty.
In the 1990s she was deployed to Iraq for Operation Southern Watch and Bosnia for Operation Deny Flight.
Then in 2000 HMS Illustrious was deployed to Sierra Leone for Operation Palliser.
After 32 years’ service, she was formally decommissioned on 28 August 2014 but she wasn’t replaced until HMS Queen Elizabeth's commissioning in 2017.
MORE RETRO PHOTOS: HMS Invincible life in pictures | Southsea in the 00s | Gunwharf over the years
1. Aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious
Relatives of navy personnel wave as the helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious departs Portsmouth for a deployment to the Mediterranean on August 12, 2013 in Portsmouth. Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images Photo: The News archive
2. Aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious
HMS Illustrious leaving Portsmouth Naval Base on August 12, 2013. Picture: Andrew Cowie/AFP via Getty Images Photo: The News archive
3. Aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious
People watched as Britain's last serving aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious was towed from her home port at Portsmouth after being sold for scrap on December 7, 2016 in Portsmouth. 'Lusty' was to be broken up for scrap in Turkey despite attempts last minute attempts to save her. Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images Photo: The News archive
4. Aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious
A female sailor seen walking through a corridor on HMS Illustrious back in May 10, 2013. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Photo: The News archive