123 - "Giving up numbers for quality is not always a recipe for success. It certainly didn't carry the field for the NAZIs against our overwhelming WW2 numbers."
That is the point I was also backing up. The most advanced fighter of WWII was the ME-163, faster by far than anything else built. Unfortunately, (for them), it was in too small a number, too late, to really impact too badly against our vast fleets of bombers.
Unfortunately, I think the F-22 is such an aircraft, advanced (but old design-technology), far far too expensive and limited in quantities to do much real good in the real world situation.
We need the same plane, for $25 million a copy, and large numbers of them, as it is the end of a whole era of piloted aircraft. The drones will and space weapons will be the next generation.
If numbers were more important, Iraq would have kicked are ass in both Gulf Wars. Or during the Cold War, the Soviets would have certainly kicked are ass since they definitely went for the numerical over quality. The US will eventually built enough F/A-22 when its true capabilities are shown in the real world. I believe therefore 500 will be built or more. There are about 500 or less F-15 in service now.