The earlier P.4/34 requirement called for a fast light day bomber able to recover from dives with a 500-pound internal bomb load. Operational Requirement O.8/38 then asked for a two-seat fleet fighter that could enter production quickly. It had to operate from carriers and ship catapults, fold in winds up to 30 knots, fly at night, remain airborne for six hours under one endurance condition, and stall at no more than 56 knots. The design also allowed conversion from a wheeled aircraft to a floatplane, although none were built in that form. The first production Fulmar flew on 4 January 1940, using an existing Fairey design to fill an urgent gap rather than pursuing an ideal fighter from a clean sheet.
Chapter · 11:33-16:37
From light bomber design to urgent fleet fighter
The P.4/34 light-bomber design became the basis for an urgent 1938 two-seat fighter specification with demanding carrier, endurance, and handling requirements.