Q&A ยท 4:16:14-4:17:12

Writing a stronger 1935 Fleet Air Arm fighter requirement

A 1935 requirement could plausibly demand an all-metal two-seat naval fighter with a 1,500-horsepower engine and heavy cannon armament.

Question

If you could rewrite one Royal Navy aviation requirement in 1935, what would you specify?

Short answer

A two-seat all-metal fighter with at least 1,500 horsepower, four 20 mm cannon, machine guns, and useful bomb capacity.

Notes

The proposed requirement keeps the navigator needed for long-range carrier work while specifying an all-metal airframe and at least 1,500 horsepower from the outset. Four 20 mm cannon and four machine guns would give a Fulmar-like aircraft both heavy striking power and a deeper ammunition reserve. A 500- or 1,000-pound bomb would let the fighter contribute to strike missions. Mixed ballistics complicate aiming, though machine guns could support a sustained dogfight while cannon deliver short, damaging passes.