Range has been a key factor in combat aircraft effectiveness since their inception during the First World War. Extending the range of fighter or strike aircraft has been particularly challenging thanks to their small size and limited internal fuel capacity. World War II aircraft addressed their fuel deficiency through external fuel tanks mounted on the wings or under the fuselage. This allowed long-range fighter escorts to accompany strategic bombers all the way to their targets. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the latest aircraft to receive these upgrades, though it faces challenges that were not applicable to the P-51 Mustangs of yesteryear.

Despite being lightyears ahead in capability, the F-35A’s effective range of 670 nautical miles is almost exactly the same as the World War II-era P-51 Mustang’s. External drop tanks—so named because the pilot could jettison them for combat or when they were empty—helped extend the P-51’s range to as much as 1,600 miles. There’s more to the story behind the Mustang’s range, but those external tanks were a big part of the equation.

The three F-35 variants’ ranges are in the same ballpark as each other, with the Navy’s F-35C having a slightly longer range than the Air Force’s F-35A. The Marines’ vertical take-off/landing F-35B’s range is slightly shorter. Modern battlespace conditions........

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