Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:14:30-1:15:14

A delayed war gives the Royal Navy time to replace obsolescent carrier aircraft

Consider what might replace Swordfish-, Roc-, Skua-, and Sea Gladiator-era aircraft if war began in 1942.

Alternate HistoryCarrier AircraftFleet Air ArmNaval AviationRoyal Navy
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Question

What carrier fighter might replace the Royal Navy's older aircraft if war began in 1942?

Short answer

The exact type is uncertain, but the Royal Navy should have obtained a modern British or American fighter by 1942.

Notes

The historical Firefly would not necessarily appear unchanged in this counterfactual. More peacetime could let the Royal Navy secure a purpose-built British fighter or buy an American design if domestic policy failed to deliver one. The service was already willing to examine American aircraft before the war. By 1942 it should therefore possess a modern carrier fighter even if the exact type differed from the historical programme.