Nathan Madien - I was writing last night in fact. I have most of an update ready, it's just in the wrong order and mostly about aircraft development. I'm currently wondering how to fit it in.
Duritz - Remember this AAR's promise; significantly slower than real time or your money back. (It's taken 3 and a half years to get to Nov/Dec 1936)
Vann the Red - Would airframe porn help make amends?
Jalex - Keeping the Empire under a British banner is something of a chicle for British AARs (see For King & Country, Against All Odds)
As I have gotten my fair share of clichés already (a weak US, Italy being awful at war) on a writing level I feel I should try and avoid it. But on a personal level I don't want to write about a declining Britain, I'm doing this for my own enjoyment as much as anything else. So my plan is a compromise.
Carlstadt Boy - Good memory sir.
My current plan is indeed for a turbo-charged Commonwealth type organisation. Instead of AUS/NZ/CAN drifting towards the US they keep the ties with the motherland, which in turn means Britain avoiding the siren's song of Europe. India and the Africa colonies getting independence on better terms would also help forge a long term economic/military alliance.
As you say Economics is key, avoiding Britain going bankrupt fighting WW2 will help (I'd also note Japan's pre-war growth was only achieved by red-lining the economy and storing up problems for later). Now the 1930s saw the Dollar begin to eclipse Sterling as the world's reserve currency and New York start to overtake London. With the US deep in the mire that wont happen, which has got to help considerably. Equally with Imperial Preference going better than OTL the trade links are stronger in the Empire, something we shall see more of in the next update.
DonnieBaseball - Wise words. The beefing up of the Far East will help immensely, the new naval squadron sends a strong message to Australia and New Zealand that they do gain something from the Empire.
And as you say five years of total war, economic blockade and ruinous expense destroyed the British economy. Between WW1 and WW2 the accumulated wealth of generations of Empire was spent and replaced with vast debts that were only paid off a few years ago I believe.
The question is will the next Great War be affordable? (I don't think it's too much of a spolier to say large scale war will come to the world at some point in this AAR
)