Torpedo bombers as the first offensive carrier aircraft

Would delaying the war lead aircraft toward a more offensive naval role?

Probably, with torpedo bombers emerging early if aircraft have enough speed, lift, and stability to carry a torpedo close to a ship and launch it.

British interest in air-launched torpedoes predates the war, although practical aircraft took longer to develop. The Cuckoo appears in the discussion as a 1917-18 example. A torpedo aircraft must approach the ship to launch its weapon, so it needs speed as well as enough lift for the heavy load and stability during release. That route to attacking ships could shape early offensive carrier aviation in the delayed-war scenario.