“All Aircraft and technologies have development issues.Nothing is a sure bet.”
True, but that is why you don’t bet everything on one platform like they did with the F-35.
IIRC, the F-4 Phantom II was never intended as a do-everything platform, but it evolved into that over time.
There was a competition...Lockheed and partner companies against Boeing and partner companies.
Boeing’s design was garbage. Used the same techniques/technologies the USMC was trying to get away from in the AV8.
Maybe the intent was for Boeing to create such a butt ugly airframe that couldn’t perform in order to throw the competition?