Rolls-Royce and Bristol could expand only so far while relying on highly skilled, workshop-style production. A sufficiently large government order would justify a more standardized factory system before wartime demand overwhelmed the existing model. Production of engines and aircraft in India or elsewhere in the empire could supply Fleet Air Arm units supporting Mediterranean and Far Eastern operations without drawing every airframe from Britain. Dispersal would also let new capacity grow beyond the immediate bombing threat facing British industry. The later use of Packard-built Merlin engines illustrates the scale of production support that the original manufacturers alone could not provide.
Notable Point · 32:24-34:21
Turning British aircraft engines into mass production
Large early engine orders and factories outside Britain could overcome artisanal production limits and support overseas naval aviation.