Blackburn had already produced the streamlined twin-engine Segrave before offering the later biplane Shark. The apparent step backward came from the requirement: the Navy asked for an improved aircraft in the Ripon and Baffin line, so Blackburn developed the Baffin into the Shark instead of starting from its newer monoplane work. Biplanes also retained useful low-speed handling for carrier takeoffs and landings. The comparison shows how a manufacturer's technical options could be narrowed by the specification it was required to meet. The later operational-requirement system gave the Third Sea Lord more power to state what naval aviation needed from the Air Ministry.
Chapter · 2:20-14:02
Why Blackburn's designs followed naval requirements
A comparison of Blackburn's advanced Seagrave with the biplane Shark shows how naval requirements could outweigh a manufacturer's more modern design path.