How would you improve the Fairey Fulmar while retaining its suitability for Royal Navy service?
Short answerFit 20 mm cannon and the strongest available Merlin engine while preserving the aircraft's range and endurance.
NotesThe proposed improvement starts with 20 mm Hispano cannon because heavier firepower lets the Fulmar exploit interception opportunities even when it cannot match an opponent's speed. Its ceiling, endurance, and ability to remain on patrol still make it dangerous to incoming formations. The all-metal airframe could also accept a Griffon or another more powerful engine with suitable engineering work. The aircraft's light-bomber ancestry supplied structural strength, so the improvement path is more plausible than a simple performance comparison suggests.