Supermarine's Dumbo pursues exceptional carrier lift

Supermarine's elephantine-looking Dumbo used a variable-incidence wing to preserve the pilot's view during carrier approaches. Full-span slots, slotted flaps, and slotted ailerons produced a measured maximum lift coefficient of 3.9 with the engine on, compared with 2.38 for the Lysander. That lift supported a stall speed of roughly 57 mph and promised strong performance from a small carrier-compatible wing. Because the Type 322 was designed around the Merlin from the outset, it might have used the lower-powered early engines more successfully than the redesigned Barracuda. An earlier decision could therefore have produced a Type 322 and Fulmar carrier air group with some shared Merlin logistics. The counterfactual remains constrained by Merlin production and Supermarine's limited capacity, but it shows how airframe-engine integration can matter as much as headline horsepower.