The Merlin 32 makes the Barracuda Mk II viable

The Merlin 32 used cropped supercharger impellers to concentrate performance at the low altitudes most relevant to Fleet Air Arm operations. A Coffman starter and four-bladed propeller complemented the installation, translating its power more effectively than the Mk I's three-bladed arrangement. At about 1,600 horsepower, it supplied roughly four hundred more than the Merlin 30 and transformed the Barracuda's practical payload performance. The Mk II consequently became the principal production version rather than another limited trial aircraft. Fairey built 675, Blackburn 700, Boulton Paul 300, and Westland thirteen, for nearly 1,700 in total. That distribution shows both the scale of wartime demand and the British practice of spreading one aircraft across several manufacturers to expand output and technical knowledge.