Could the more powerful Swordfish design drop a 21-inch torpedo?
Short answerThe objection is whether the heavy torpedo would survive entering the water, a problem investigated through years of testing.
NotesA more powerful Swordfish replacement prompts a suggestion that it could drop a 21-inch torpedo. The objection concerns the torpedo's weight and its impact with the water. Greater aircraft lifting power would leave that problem unresolved. The Royal Navy spent years testing aerial torpedoes during the 1920s and 1930s, including attempts to produce an air-dropped version of the weapon used by Nelson and Rodney.