Substantial naval spending on aviation sits uneasily with the claim that admirals cared only about battleships. The RNAS was a large aviation organisation supported by the same service that maintained the battle fleet. Its existence and funding show that investment in capital ships could coexist with investment in aircraft. The criticism of the 'battleship-brained' label rests on that institutional commitment.
Notable Point · 39:28-39:54
Why battleship investment did not exclude aviation
The Royal Navy's willingness to fund aircraft and aviation institutions complicates the shorthand that interwar admirals were simply battleship-minded.