Would a Hercules engine improve the Blackburn Skua?

Would replacing the Skua's Perseus engine with a Bristol Hercules materially improve the aircraft?

Probably not: the early Hercules added only a few hundred horsepower while nearly doubling engine weight and requiring substantial airframe reinforcement.

The 1936 Hercules I offered roughly 1,150 horsepower against about 890 for the Skua's Perseus, but weighed nearly twice as much. Supporting that engine would require a stronger and heavier forward airframe. The resulting performance gain would therefore be far smaller than a simple horsepower comparison suggests and might not be worthwhile at all.