[Merad]

If you're really interested in the topic look up the YouTube channel Greg's Planes and Automobiles. In addition to a deep dive series on the P-47 just a few weeks ago he made a video about late WW2 "super prop" fighters. They were the pinnacle of piston engine fighter performance, but they were all canceled because they weren't needed to win the war and everyone could see that jets were the future. We'd probably struggle to beat them even with modern technology TBH.

[pbronez]

The final incremental improvement before a revolutionary change is always an interesting place to look.

[lovecg]

Yeah it’s cool to think about how some technology might have developed if the economics didn’t make the evolutionary branch obsolete. I think that’s the appeal of steampunk fiction etc.