Although the Warhawk/Tomahawk had a higher service ceiling, it performed poorly at high altitude. The later models of the Tomahawk had a quite effective performance at low altitude (Guttman). Eventually, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt started becoming increasingly common. The P-38 was an expensive and large fighter, with an unconventional twin boom design (each boom carried one engine, and the cockpit was suspended in a pod between the booms) that was hard to manufacture, especially considering it was heavily armored. Despite all this, its two turbo-supercharged engines compensated for its weight, producing a top speed of 414 miles per hour and making it a good high altitude fighter; however, the Lightning’s maneuverability suffered from its size and all of the equipment it needed to carry (Guilmartin “P-38”). The Thunderbolt, despite being smaller with one turbo-supercharged engine, was as unmaneuverable as the Lightning and also quite
Although the Warhawk/Tomahawk had a higher service ceiling, it performed poorly at high altitude. The later models of the Tomahawk had a quite effective performance at low altitude (Guttman). Eventually, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt started becoming increasingly common. The P-38 was an expensive and large fighter, with an unconventional twin boom design (each boom carried one engine, and the cockpit was suspended in a pod between the booms) that was hard to manufacture, especially considering it was heavily armored. Despite all this, its two turbo-supercharged engines compensated for its weight, producing a top speed of 414 miles per hour and making it a good high altitude fighter; however, the Lightning’s maneuverability suffered from its size and all of the equipment it needed to carry (Guilmartin “P-38”). The Thunderbolt, despite being smaller with one turbo-supercharged engine, was as unmaneuverable as the Lightning and also quite