Dayton Brown designed an adequate 1939 fighter that defeated Grumman's contemporary proposal, while Brewster failed to provide the production or upgrades needed for it to mature. A competent Brewster might have joined Grumman and Vought as a third source of evolving US Navy fighters. Instead, Grumman supplied the continuous Wildcat-Hellcat-Bearcat lineage while Vought contributed the Corsair. The proposed benefit of a stronger Brewster is greater competition and more alternative fighter ideas for the United States and its allies. Those additional designs remain hypothetical.
Notable Point · 55:20-57:59
The lost third line of US Navy fighters
Brewster's failure cost the US Navy a possible third fighter-development line alongside Grumman and Vought, despite Dayton Brown's successful original design.