Hi Guys,
I was browsing around looking for more info on the F35 and somehow I stumbled upon this forum.
First off, let me apologize for my idiotic American friend. Most Americans are good, hard working people who do not harbor hatred or anger. Just very poorly raised children with bad parents.
To address a few issues, when it really comes down to the best aircraft one need only look at the pilot. For example, the P51 had something like a 14:1 ratio but that was mostly due to the Luftwaffe being down to only young and inexperienced pilots.
However, during WW2 in the Pacific the best fighter was the F6F Hellcat which had a 19:1 kill ratio. (Good pilots, very badly armored Zeros) Yes, the F-15 has never been lost in a fight and only one F-14 was lost (Iranian pilot, out of ammo/weapons, was shot down by of all things, a MIG-21). An F-18 is quite capable of destroying anything with a great pilot. The same can be said for Russian aircraft with great pilots.
The technology that has been integrated with the F35 makes it a very potent platform that in the right hands, should pretty much dominate anything it fights -- except against extremely good pilots. Also note that dog fighting is pretty much a thing of the past. There won't be intricate close up battles anymore but mostly BVR fights and thus the importance of low radar detection.
I think this "chest thumping" about brands of fighters is simply pointless. When it comes to 1v1 fights, it's usually the better pilot that gains the advantage. Nowadays, it's going to be the smarter, well trained pilot who knows what to do with the tools (s)he has to win the fight if they ever get to a face to face battle. Odds are very low though.
And yes, I am totally in love with the F35 (being a former F/A-18 mechanic). The way it looks, it's capabilities and how it will eventually be used (hopefully the right way, not the wrong way like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan) but that does not mean I am "homer" in this case. I simply like the way it looks and the way it has been designed.
Cheers!