Originally Posted by
sharpend
Now that the RAF has a few, would a non-biased pilot correct my views on this aircraft: I subscribe to the principle that if it looks good, it possibly is good. In my opinion F35 looks ugly. I also think that anything with lift engines that are inoperative most of the time are dead weight and ruin performance. It cannot of course use the lift engines for combat manoeuvrability as that enormous barn door would need to be open. There are may other combat jets that out perform it in speed, load carrying capability and range. I'm told that it cannot take-off vertically or inflight refuel. It is very expensive, complicated and thus possibly unreliable. I doubt if it is invisible to radar.
Am I totally wrong?
So what did you think of the Buccaneer? The A7? The F-117? etc. I too am attracted to attractive aircraft such as the Spitfire, The Sabre, the Hustler, the F-15, etc. But the truth is found in their mission performance. Too early to say for the F-35, but here's hoping.