Quote:
Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth
Real engine performance was strongly dependent on altitude, so you're not going to be able to get sensible values for service ceilings unless your model incorporates that...
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And different engines had very different performance profiles, even if they were otherwise similar. Often they behaved in ways that the designers didn't intend or want. Quite a number of WWII 'high-altitude fighters' ended up as ground attack aeroplanes because of this (often quite successful ones).
The usual features of a good high-altitude fighter in WWII were a huge engine with optimisations for high altitudes, and a wing and airframe shape that didn't lend itself well to low altitude dogfights.