Ken,
Inferior turn performance (inferior EM, to be exact) makes the F-35 an inferior fighter, other things being equal, unless we decide that EM no longer matters.
The case that EM no longer matters is far from proven, and indeed, if it doesn't, we don't need the F-35 because it expensively embodies maneuvering performance. We need a Super F-117.
You can argue that other things are not equal, but you have not made that case. Other jets have HOBS missiles, and HMDs. If the F-35 is in stealth mode it doesn't have HOBS missiles.
So "dog fight performance" was demonstrated as equal or superior to the F-16? (Since you state that anything else is a false conclusion.) How do you make that argument from the content of the paper?
Why do we try to pigeonhole fighters by generation at all? We got by without it for 90 years before some marketing dipweed in Foat Wuff decided to crib a Russian term and slap it on his products.
Last edited by LowObservable; 2nd Jul 2015 at 19:53.