Had war begun several years later, the Royal Navy expected many more new carriers and a new generation of naval aircraft. Henderson ordered 2,000-horsepower engine development as naval control of the Fleet Air Arm returned, recognizing that existing engines limited fighter and torpedo-bomber performance. Aircraft types normally turned over within a few years. The aircraft visible in 1938-39 should therefore be read as a transitional fleet rather than the intended endpoint.
Notable Point · 1:44:49-1:46:57
War interrupts a planned carrier transformation
Britain entered the war while new carriers, engines, and Fleet Air Arm institutions were still moving from plans into service.