The Albacore's enclosed cockpit could make night attacks harder. Its overall balance is judged unfavourably against the Swordfish, whose practical advantages the replacement failed to preserve. A newer design could therefore be worse suited to a particular task. The TBD Devastator receives a different judgment: its design was reasonable when introduced, but events overtook it.
Notable Point · 28:15-28:56
Why the Albacore did not automatically improve on the Swordfish
An enclosed cockpit and newer design did not guarantee a better night-attack aircraft when the replacement failed to preserve the Swordfish's practical advantages.