Antibiotics and the Merlin as alternatives to radar in World War I

The radar answer is challenged by a proposal to take antibiotics back instead. Preserving manpower is the argument for that choice in a war where casualties and available personnel matter greatly. A Rolls-Royce Merlin engine is another suggestion, since suitable engines constrained both aircraft and land-vehicle development. The objection is that its power could exceed the structural capacity of a contemporary airframe. The reply points to stronger construction, with Blackburn's use of steel offered as a possible approach. These alternatives expose different assumptions about whether the greatest benefit comes from combat systems, medicine, or machinery.