As for Turbine D’s comments of a ‘successful’ program and then wittering on about historic aircraft I wonder why mention was not made upon the ‘success’ of contemporary competing programs.
Russia’s F-35 competitor that was to have been co-developed with India. Hardly a resounding success there. The Indian’s have pulled out, how many are flying?
Japan, a military industrial and scientific leader, has backed off their own 5th Gen Fighter development, the Mitsubishi X-2, and have chosen to go with the F-35.
Germany and France, well they continue talking about theirs.
Turkey is developing one how is that going, if well, why want the F-35?
China does have a 5th Gen program, and is producing the JC-20 and FC-31, but only with derivative powerplants that are not producing the desired thrust.
The design engineering, development, technology advances and integration of systems in the F-35 is beyond the financial ability of any single G7 nation but has been made available to a number of allied Air Forces through a massive ‘successful' collaborative effort of various partners and many would judge it a successful program in any number of ways.