30. The Fighter That Swept the Japanese From Pacific Skies
American naval aviators began the Pacific War with a rude shock. They were unpleasantly surprised to discover that their standard fighter airplane, the F4F Wildcat, was outclassed in many ways by the faster, more maneuverable, and longer-ranged Japanese Zero.
Ameliorative operational procedures and tactics were adopted to counter the Zero’s advantages and play up to the Wildcat’s strengths. However, such measures were a stopgap at best. What was really needed was a new and improved fighter. They got it in 1943 with the arrival of the Grumman F6F Hellcat, which ended up wreaking havoc upon the Japanese.