The Blackburn alternative to the Fairey Gannet was faster and performed better on paper, while the Fairey aircraft was more reliable. Reliability made the Gannet the more attractive operational choice. In the 1950s, British naval-aircraft orders could still sustain two companies competing with different designs for the same requirement. The comparison with the much smaller Royal Navy of 2020 draws attention to the scale of the aircraft industry those orders supported.
Notable Point · 3:27:28-3:28:14
When two British firms competed to build one naval aircraft
The Gannet competition illustrates a 1950s industrial base large enough for Fairey and Blackburn to develop rival naval aircraft for the same requirement.