P-47 had that GE turbosupercharger weighing it down at lower altitudes, especially the non-paddlebladed models; it was my understanding that Corsair squadrons training on the East Coast handled USAAF Jugs pretty easily below 20,000 ft, but not nearly as well at higher alts. Above that line, the turbosupercharger made the Jug's R-2800 much more efficient than the ones in F4Us and F6Fs; Jug pilots, after losing a round at medium heights were known to fly alongside the victors in the blue painted planes, shake their oxygen masks and point up.
Naval Aviators, being smarter than the average bear, would usually refuse the offer.
cheers
horseback
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