A 1928 patrol-aircraft program should prioritize engines

What should Britain prioritize in 1928 when designing an advanced long-range maritime patrol aircraft for service ten years later?

Develop reliable 2,000-horsepower engines first, then pursue a large long-range aircraft broadly along B-29 lines.

The counterfactual gives a 1928 design team a blank check for a long-range maritime patrol aircraft. The priority is the propulsion programme because a mature 2,000-horsepower engine would benefit several aircraft categories before war. The proposed patrol aircraft is broadly comparable to the later B-29 concept. Enabling technology can matter more to future force structure than optimizing a single early platform.