The Royal Navy's First World War experience generated two linked priorities: forcing fleets out of harbour and fighting effectively at night. Those priorities made the Swordfish more suitable than the Blackburn Shark. It was slightly more reliable, easier to fly, and more stable. Small handling advantages mattered when navigation, formation flying, torpedo release, and recovery all happened in darkness.
Notable Point · 52:36-53:44
Why reliability mattered more than marginal performance
For a long-range night strike, the Swordfish's reliability, stability, and ease of handling outweighed small performance differences.