Early-war procurement leaves several Fleet Air Arm ideas in play because later failures have not yet narrowed the field. The Skua still needs a successor, Swordfish production continues, and the Albacore and Barracuda remain under development. Britain might also place a crash order for the Fulmar while pursuing a cannon-armed, gull-wing naval Spitfire concept. Putting the cannon in the fixed wing roots could bring them closer to warm-air and cooling systems than they would be in folding outer panels. An immediate carrier-aircraft requirement could push several competing designs forward at once.
Notable Point · 12:44-14:42
Fleet Air Arm options before the war hardens
An earlier Pacific war keeps several British naval-aircraft concepts alive, from Swordfish successors to a navalized Spitfire-style fighter.