Henderson's engineering case for naval control of aviation

Henderson opposed divided control of naval aviation on technical grounds. An RAF focused on multi-engine bombers was also neglecting its own single-engine fighters, so it was unlikely to prioritize powerful carrier aircraft. After the Navy recovered control of the Fleet Air Arm, Henderson ordered the Sabre and Griffon engine programmes, whose power later served British wartime aviation more broadly. The Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore show the carrier requirement clearly. The lighter Swordfish combined generous wing area with useful power for its mass, while the Albacore's compromises left it short of power. A torpedo aircraft had to lift a heavy weapon from a short deck, making power-to-weight ratio an operational requirement. Henderson made the institutional case legible to politicians by tying control to a specific engineering problem.