Ease of low-level flight gave Buccaneer its NA.39 edge

Why did Buccaneer beat the competing Armstrong Whitworth and Hawker NA.39 proposals?

It was the easiest and most intuitive to fly during demanding low-level strike missions.

The selection was a close decision rather than an overwhelming technical victory. Experience associated with Swordfish development encouraged the program to value forgiving, intuitive handling. That quality mattered for long-range strikes flown precisely at very low altitude and high subsonic speed. Buccaneer held a narrow advantage because it was the easiest of the three proposals to fly in that demanding regime.