Umm, I think tests were initially conducted from a Wellington airframe. The aircraft remained in trials use well after the war. Before FI was 'invented', it was understood that the Wellington didn't fall apart as frequently as the 4 engined heavies. Of course, the geodesic airframe was also invented by Sir Barnes Wallis.
Perhaps Dr Hunt is the sort of chap, in an earlier life, would have invented similar weapons when the Realm was threatned. Garden shed, rusty nail, under-investmentand a hand-cranked generator and eh, voila! a war-winning weapon mortgaged to the US to get us out of more financial poo!