Late or not, the P-38 shot down more Japanese aircraft than any other USAAF fighter in WW II.
Now, I am taling air-superiority “fighter” here. There are other planes, with other missions, but this thread starts with “fighter.”
Speed was up to 426 m.p.h., and best climb to 3,900 ft./min. The “J” would climb to 20,000 ft. in 5.9 minutes.
Nothing else came close.
The P-38 shot down Yamamotos plane, I have a detailed model of one, one of my favorites, it even has a decal that looks like a small piece of a front page newspaper with a picture of a woman called “Marge” the pilots best gal.
Six Browning machine guns all in the nose, thats firepower!