Conflict compresses development schedules, and each additional requirement creates more conditions an aircraft must meet before entering service. A programme can respond by concentrating on one clearly defined role and adding useful secondary missions after operational experience accumulates. The Spitfire entered service before the war during an emergency buildup and illustrates this approach to meeting an urgent primary requirement. Peacetime programmes have more time to combine roles when their aerodynamic and structural demands fit together. Dive bombing demanded particular maneuvers and an airframe able to withstand substantial loads, which could leave an aircraft agile in some directions yet insufficiently maneuverable for fighter combat.
Chapter · 21:25-23:28
Why wartime aircraft development favors specialization
Peacetime programs may have time to reconcile compatible roles, but wartime urgency favors fielding an aircraft for one clear mission and adapting it only after entry into service.