How did interwar engine development connect aircraft and small naval craft?
Short answerReliable Royal Navy funding for torpedo-boat engines sustained development of powerplants that were then adapted for aircraft.
NotesThe interwar research discussed here found that engines receiving the most dependable development money were often suitable for both aircraft and motor torpedo boats. Royal Navy funding for small-boat machinery was steadier than Air Ministry support for aircraft engines. Manufacturers could therefore sustain development through torpedo-boat programmes before an aircraft application was ready. In several cases, the boat requirement funded an engine that entered service first in an aeroplane. This reverses the familiar assumption that fast boats simply borrowed machinery already developed for aviation.