The Skua needed a better engine, but places the problem above the airframe manufacturer. The Royal Navy could help fund a promising engine only to see the Air Ministry reserve it for an RAF aircraft before naval installation. In the harshest reading this was petty interservice politics; in the most charitable, the Air Ministry sincerely believed its aircraft had the highest national priority. Either way, Fleet Air Arm performance suffered from decisions made outside the Navy.
Notable Point · 2:05:51-2:06:38
How Air Ministry priorities weakened Fleet Air Arm engines
The Blackburn Skua's engine problem is linked to an interservice procurement system that redirected promising powerplants toward RAF aircraft.