Planners in the 1920s did not have late-war aircraft performance as a guide. They could see aviation improving, but they did not know whether the trend would continue steeply, level off, or be overtaken by another technology. Buying an entire force around the most optimistic curve risked weakening immediate defense if the expected breakthrough failed to arrive. Armed forces could push experimental boundaries while remaining conservative about large procurement commitments. That distinction explains continued carrier experimentation without assuming that every navy should already have organized itself around the capabilities visible in 1944 or 1945.
Notable Point · 34:55-36:35
Interwar aviation choices without hindsight
Interwar planners could see aviation improving but could not safely assume its wartime trajectory or procure every experimental boundary as a fleet standard.