Q&A ยท 3:39:03-3:41:43

Twin Wasp power for British naval aircraft

Giving Armstrong Siddeley production rights for the Twin Wasp improves the Skua and could reshape British fighter choices before the Second World War.

Question

What changes if Armstrong Siddeley builds the Twin Wasp for the Skua and a navalized Gloster fighter?

Short answer

Both aircraft improve, and a successful British fighter could alter later Fleet Air Arm procurement.

Notes

More power makes the Skua a substantially happier aircraft and gives a navalized Gloster F.5/34 a better chance in competition. The F.5/34 specification also sought an expeditionary fighter able to operate in places such as North Africa, giving the engine decision an imperial operating context. A successful domestic engine-airframe combination could reduce the later incentive to buy American Hellcats. The scenario links engine licensing to aircraft performance, procurement, and doctrine rather than treating horsepower as an isolated change.