Wartime equipment overwhelms the original weight target

The final aircraft grew by roughly two thousand pounds beyond even the heavier floatplane limit in the original requirement. Radar and other equipment became essential as the war progressed, so technological improvement brought penalties in both mass and occupied space. The specification also called for six bomb hardpoints, a torpedo mounting, a pilot-controlled Browning gun, and a Vickers K gun for rear defense. Its pilot, observer, and telegraphist-air-gunner had to divide flying, navigation, radio, observation, and defensive duties, with two-person strike crews combining some of those jobs. In the period terminology described here, ordinary reconnaissance meant a reasoned estimate of what was present, while recognizance meant positive identification. The surviving wording matters because later authors sometimes normalize the archival term and erase a useful distinction in how the Navy described information quality.