The Admiralty already regarded the Albacore as an interim Swordfish replacement when it ordered the Fairey Type 100, later Barracuda, without a full competition. Its high wing improved the observer's view and its planned Rolls-Royce Exe promised high power at low weight without liquid-cooling machinery, but the sophisticated combination demanded prolonged development.
Chapter · 1:47:45-1:49:45
The Barracuda and its lost Rolls-Royce Exe advantage
A Fleet Air Arm history traces the Barracuda's difficult development to an ambitious airframe and an engine programme that never reached production.