They've completed about half of their test missions now, without a hitch, and just went supersonic this last week.

LM on the other hand, have only begun their flight testing.

This reminds me of the war that was fought about 8-10 years ago with the F-22 and F-23.

I was a huge fan of the F-23, it looked so neat, and completely different than anything else we have out there. LM comes in and makes something that looks like an updated F-15 and wins. Again, with their new JSF concept plane, it again looks like a modified F-15 (looks like only one engine though?) whereas the Boeing product looks like an alien (which to me is the winning design.)

What do you all think? Wouldn't it be awesome if we got to see it flying, or better yet, be their test pilots?! :P

The JSF will become the Air Force's "rock soup" of the new millennium, a twenty-first century F-16! For those of you who have never read the story of "rock soup" here it is...

http://icw-net.com/info/services/rocksoup.htm

The F-16 started out as a small, lightweight, CHEAP, air-to-air fighter to replace the F-4Es and F-5 now look where its at. If you look at a photo of an F-16 today it has more s##t hanging on it than an apple tree at harvest time, and the JSF will end up the same way!

It will start small.....

Well you know what would make this rock soup (JSF) even better, a little more air-to-ground capabilities. You have some pylons? That would be great!

Hmmmm, That's good but if it had a little targeting pod it would be even better. You have a lightning II great!

It's really good now but, you know it's still missing something.....ahh, if it had a little more range it would really be good does someone have a small external tank we could add to it?

I think you get my meaning! Before it's over the JSF will be overweight, non-stealthily, expensive, and each copy will probably cost more than a role specific aircraft that had been developed from the beginning and, It's mission capabilities will only be about 3/4 of a role specific aircraft, if we're lucky! There will so many block numbers that it will put the F-16 to shame!