Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 38:20-38:47

The Gloster proposal was too fragile for repeated deck landings

The Fleet Air Arm's concern was whether the Gloster airframe could survive repeated carrier landings, not whether a better engine could make it faster.

Aircraft DesignFleet Air ArmFlight Deck OperationsNaval Aviation
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Question

Why did the Royal Navy prefer the Supermarine proposal to the Gloster carrier aircraft?

Short answer

The Gloster airframe was considered too fragile for repeated flight-deck landings.

Notes

Better engines would not solve the Gloster proposal's main problem as a carrier aircraft. The airframe was not expected to withstand the repeated shocks of flight-deck landings. That durability concern helps explain why the Fleet Air Arm preferred to pursue the competing Supermarine design. Carrier suitability depended on structural resilience as well as speed and engine performance.