The Fulmar could not out-turn or out-climb a Zero, yet its combat record was stronger than its later reputation implies. Radar fighter direction placed it to attack incoming raids effectively, and some crews became aces against fighters as well as bombers. Mediterranean operations had helped refine fighter control by late 1941, although it remained imperfect. The criticism of the Fulmar's development is that further investment in engines and 20 mm cannon could have prolonged its usefulness. The later Firefly was a different airframe, whose effective service into the Korean War provided a comparison for what sustained development could achieve.
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The Fulmar performed better than its reputation suggests
Radar fighter direction made the Fulmar effective in its intended fleet-defense role, but the design received little further development.