Skua, Zero and the timing of naval-aircraft comparisons

Skua and Zero belong to different generations, making the date of an imagined conflict important. Skua was already far from the front line when Britain and Japan historically went to war. Night attacks introduce a further difference because relatively few Zero units are described as practising night flying. In a separate delayed-war scenario beginning in late 1941, Barracuda and a proposed gull-wing Seafire might be available instead. That proposed Seafire is explicitly distinct from the later Spitfire-derived aircraft. Barracuda's torpedo and dive-bombing options are considered for a night strike.