The Blackburn Roc and Boulton Paul Defiant receive sharply different verdicts. The Roc is dismissed as wasted carrier deck space, while the Defiant became an effective night fighter. That success did not make the single-engine turret fighter a lasting solution. The twin-engine Bristol Beaufighter eventually replaced the Defiant in the role because it could carry more radar and heavier weapons. Night fighting gave the Defiant useful work, but the comparison still favours the larger aircraft's capacity for equipment and armament.
Notable Point · 5:08-5:43
Defiant night fighter and Beaufighter replacement
The Defiant found a useful night-fighter role, but its replacement by the Beaufighter exposed the advantages of a larger twin-engine aircraft.