Q&A · 1:17:25-1:18:12

Early twin-engine carrier aircraft requirements

Two linked answers trace how large-carrier aviation requirements predated the famous aircraft that later fulfilled them.

Question

When did the Royal Navy begin considering Mosquito-like twin-engine carrier aircraft, and when did the US Navy seek aircraft for the Midway class?

Short answer

Royal Navy inquiries and tests with twin-engine aircraft reached back to 1929, while the US Navy explicitly sought the best aircraft it could field for the large Midway-class carriers.

Notes

The Royal Navy's interest in twin-engine carrier aircraft is presented as an interwar line of inquiry rather than a wartime improvisation, though landing a Mosquito still demanded exceptional skill. The Midway answer emphasizes that the US Navy planned aircraft around the capabilities of its new large carriers while also drawing on types already entering service.