Could a 1937 Twin Wasp license give the Fleet Air Arm an engine beyond Air Ministry rationing?
Short answerNo; British production would still fall under Air Ministry allocation, so the Navy would not control the licensed engine's supply.
NotesThe problem was not a shortage of promising engine designs ordered by the Admiralty. Once an engine entered British production, the Air Ministry could redirect it to priorities it considered more urgent. That institutional control repeatedly undermined naval aircraft plans and pushed the Royal Navy toward American aircraft and engines. The First World War provides an earlier example: Admiralty contracts included engines and cultivated suppliers, while an RFC procurement official's contemptuous treatment of a Vickers manager illustrates how institutional relations could undermine supply. Technical priority, contract structure, and respect for industry all shape what reaches service. Procurement authority can therefore matter more than holding a technical license.