The Merlin 30 leaves the Barracuda Mk I underpowered

The Merlin 30 was a low-altitude engine well suited in principle to a naval aircraft, but it was far less powerful than the ambitious engine around which the airframe had been conceived. By the time it was installed, wartime equipment had also made the Barracuda heavier than its designers expected. Only twenty-three Mk Is were built, eighteen by Fairey and five by Westland, and they served mainly for trials and testing. The aircraft handled carrier landings well when lightly loaded, confirming that its basic flying qualities were sound. Adding operational weapons exposed the deficit: the Merlin 30 could not provide enough power for the weight it had to move. Repeated engine changes also required structural redesign around the nose and load-bearing members, so the solution demanded more than fitting a different powerplant.