I was recently at the Nellis Air Force Airshow in Las Vegas and got to see the F35 fly. The F22 flew unlike anything I ever saw before in spectacular fashion, the F16 could fly almost likewise, the A10 was down right scary and if I was the enemy I’d crap my drawers if I knew it was hunting me.
The F35 merely took off banked in a turn and landed. I thought it was a very disappointing performance.
I talked to the pilots of the all the planes I saw fly there. They were all super enthusiastic about their planes except the F35 pilot who was no way near as enthusiastic. None of the pilots of the F22,F16,A10 would say a bad word about the F35 but no one would say anything good about it. I was left with the impression that the F35 was kinda of a pig.
By the way there was a Heritage flight near the end of the show where the F22, F35 and an old F86 Sabre flew all together in formation. The F86 was chosen to fly in lieu of WW11 aircraft because the F35 could not fly slow enough without stalling according to an Air Force pilot I had talked to.
The F-35 & F-22 are primarily intended as BVR fighters. But the F-22 retains the agility to yank & bank like a legacy fighter. What it gives up is any meaningful air-2-mud capability.
That is where the F-35 supposedly comes in. It trades agility for a wider weapons array. But, man, that BVR capability had better work!