True, but this design gives them a head start over a blank sheet of paper..................
Chance-Vought (LTV) threw out the re-worked Crusader to compete for fleet interceptor competition that eventually became the F-4 Phantom II. The Crusader III would have been interesting but extremely complex. Anyway that failed, but LTV came back for a 3rd try with a re-worked Crusader that became the simplified A-7.