OK after a suggestion in another thread: which plane, which could have been successful IF the designer had had a free hand, was most badly affected by the government/air force requirements or meddling?
Two to start with;
1:The Defiant which if it had had even two forward firing guns could have been as successful as the Bristol Fighter in WWI.
2:The Stirling which if it had proper wings and an undivided bomb bay would have possibly killed the Lancaster. It wasn't a disaster but was certainly hampered by what was asked of Shorts. They did produce a redesign which would have been effective (assuming the Centauri didn't catch fire!) but were stopped because it would disrupt the production of the original design!
Any other ideas?
Two to start with;
1:The Defiant which if it had had even two forward firing guns could have been as successful as the Bristol Fighter in WWI.
2:The Stirling which if it had proper wings and an undivided bomb bay would have possibly killed the Lancaster. It wasn't a disaster but was certainly hampered by what was asked of Shorts. They did produce a redesign which would have been effective (assuming the Centauri didn't catch fire!) but were stopped because it would disrupt the production of the original design!
Any other ideas?