while the bombers, with heavy loads, seldom got as high as 30,000 feet, if that, the fighters fought from on the deck to 40,000. It was always smart to spot the enemy from above. The German FW-190 had a service ceiling of better than 39,000 feet and the ME-109 38,000 plus. That was the beauty of the Merlin-equipped P-51-D. - Gordon White