WWII: maximum altitude of selected combat aircraft 1939-1945
In the Second World War, the Spitfire had a maximum altitude of more than 13 kilometers - this was over a kilometer higher than the German fighters of the time. The Spitfire's greater altitude gave it a significant advantage, and it gradually became the primary fighter used by Britain as the war waged on. In aerial combat, speed and altitude are both incredibly important - altitude can be sacrificed for greater speed when pursuing or outrunning an enemy, whereas altitude can be used to outflank the enemy, reposition, attack from above, and build up energy.