LO,
There does seem to be atendency to 'bash' the F-35, or at least damn it with faint praise.
11 weapon stations is not at all bad for an aircraft with a smallish wingspan. 4 are internal - that means weapons carried with nil drag. That's a good thing - a very good thing. Add in the sensor/comms/datalinks JSF has, and it's got plenty of bang for the buck.
Phoon and Flanker both have plenty of stations, but like ANY aircraft, some are limited, not all combinations can be carried, and range takes a big hit with a full load. Doesn't make them bad aircraft - let's just see if we can admit that JSF has a bit going for it.
Regards
Engines.