Power-to-weight limits on Barracuda and naval fighters

Power-to-weight ratio was especially demanding for naval aircraft because their structure and equipment made them heavier than land-based counterparts. More horsepower mattered for reaching flying speed and generating lift quickly during a carrier takeoff, even with an accelerator or catapult, as well as for top speed. Earlier engines might have brought the Fairey Barracuda into service on time, replacing the Swordfish-to-Albacore sequence with an earlier move to Barracuda or even changing which aircraft carried the Albacore name. Engine availability also affected the abandoned Royal Navy fighter competition in which Hawker and Supermarine were willing to participate. The 2,000-horsepower requirement points toward the imagined gull-wing, Sabre-powered naval Spitfire. That aircraft never existed, but the counterfactual shows why apparently underpowered carrier designs cannot be judged apart from their intended engines.