The thing is, every airplane is a compromise. The problem with single mission machines is that mission isn't usually the mission of the day.
Look at the evolution of the F-16, the lightweight champ that took the belt in several more weight classes the older it got. Such is the way of an aging true fighting champ, but also our shrinking budgets.
The F-22 had to become a bomber, just like the F-15 had to, as did the F-4 before. The list is long and distinguished. You make do with what you have. None the less, to me, the F-35 seems more bomber than fighter, more like the F-105 than an F-8. Time will tell.
Of the choices fielded, during the fly off and the beauty contest, the F-35 was the pick of the litter. I can see many advantages to what they've done...IF they can put enough motor in it. Most of the stealth is in front, so one can make some assumptions from that about its intended missions.
And, given how long this machine will be in service and all the possible scenarios it will need to succeed in, you can get a feel for the challenges they were trying to address.
Good, bad or ugly, we're committed. We'll have to wait and see if they have chosen their compromises wisely. Production is rolling along and I was surprised by how many have been built and who all is currently flying them. There are plenty of the guru level geniuses here and abroad working on it. My F-35 glass is up to about two thirds full and filling slowly.
Look at the wing loading of the F-35 and you will note that it is darned similar to the F-105.
But without the top end speed (which is worthless now because of improvement in IR missiles) and with a lot more non-sustained maneuverability to give a first look first shot capability from long range.
If you can get him to miss that shot, you could close and do him some damage with superior maneuverability, perhaps.
Or he could shoot you again....
they should cancel the pig and buy SU35s, probably can get them for a good price. the navy went for 2 seaters and got a pig, the F4, and kept the great F8 around for fighter escort, a truly classic design. they bought F18s to replace the Ao6, A7s, and the f18 can do neither role.
the F111, even in the F model never came close to meeting range and perf goals. they loaded up anF111 with4 multi ejector racks of iron bombs, and said it could carry the same load as teh B52, but ALSO do M2.0. macnamara was a real piece of shit.
stealth is a first wave threat. the later waves can be less stealthy and use drop tanks, wing mounted stores. the stealths are always payload limited by their internal capacity, small. the A12 fisaco tried to solve that with a huge delta wing that would have made it nearly impossible to land on the carriers it was supposed to operate out of.