The multirole idea was sound, but the technology, deck space, and force structure around the Scimitar were not ready to support it. Carrier navies still expected several specialist aircraft types, and British flight decks were too small for the Scimitar to reach its potential. The video then makes two explicit counterfactuals. A slightly earlier Scimitar might have shaped British carrier and naval-aviation development, while a slightly later version might have offered an alternative to the Phantom. Neither happened, and the accident record came to dominate the type's reputation even though its mission concept anticipated later naval aircraft.
Chapter · 26:33-30:10
A multirole concept ahead of its fleet structure
The Scimitar anticipated later multirole aircraft, but arrived while carrier fleets still favored multiple specialist types and British decks remained too small.