The infamous Japanese fighter, the 'Zero'

Although a shock to the allies when first encountered, by 1943-44 it was being outclassed by the new generations of allied fighters such as the P51 Mustang, the P47 Thunderbolt & the later marks of Spitfire. Although relatively fast & maneuverable, the Zero was very lightly armored & was not equipped with self sealing fuel tanks like allied fighters. Consequently, even outdated planes like the P40 Tomahawk could blast them out of the sky if a Zero was foolish enough to get caught in their sights for a second or two. (Chenaults 'Flying Tigers' gave a good account of themselves flying P40s against the Zeros in China in the late 30s & early 40s)