Why wartime aircraft began as prewar designs

Most wartime carrier aircraft began from specifications issued before the war, with the Hellcat presented as a rare rapid exception. Long development cycles meant that aircraft entering wartime service still reflected prewar requirements. The Blackburn Skua illustrates the institutional problem: the Navy secured a dive bomber by calling it a reconnaissance fighter because it could not order the desired type directly. Slow communication between naval users, the Air Ministry, and manufacturers encouraged incremental designs such as the Albacore.