Quite why so many of the more knowledgeable and balanced contributors to this thread continue to respond to JSFfan's "...a bloke said down the pub, so it must be true!" line of reasoning amazes me!
That is both a true statement and an unquantifiable one at the same time. Yes, within the realms of what is appropriate and 'allowed' on a public forum, many who visit these pages would like a balanced view from those who really do know their stuff wrt F-35. The problem is it's not easy to prove your credentials.
For what its worth, this thread has become a child's playground conversation now with a 'my dad's better than your dad' tone; Boeing-lovers and LM-lovers locked in eternal battle over the chat forums while those who know and care about the next generation of aircraft are out there designing, building, testing and improving.
Hats off to them and keep up the good work!