During the final three years of the Second World War, the Fleet Air Arm depended heavily on American aircraft, especially Grumman and Chance Vought types supplied through Lend-Lease. At the war's end, these machines were returned, scrapped, or ditched at sea under the agreement, while British Seafires and Fireflies remained alongside smaller numbers of Barracudas. Jets offered the future, but early gas turbines responded too slowly to throttle changes for safe carrier flying. Some new naval types were purpose-built, while the Sea Vampire and Sea Venom were adaptations of land aircraft. Military helicopters were still rare and required considerable development. From 1947, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve squadrons kept aging piston types in service with Seafires and Fireflies, plus North American Harvard trainers. These older aircraft remained useful during the development of naval jets and helicopters.
Chapter · 2:40-4:40
The Fleet Air Arm's postwar aircraft transition
Fleet Air Arm Aircraft Since 1946 follows the service's shift from American wartime types and aging piston aircraft toward British jets and helicopters.