If I had the choice and was still flying and could chose fighters, I would prefer something like the SU 37 (thrust vectoring is the way to go: EuroFighter, F 35...), *that* is an a/c you can *fly*!
The Sukhoi Su-37 (NATO reporting name: 'Flanker-F') is a Russian experimental multi-role jet fighter aircraft. It is a single seat fighter modified from the 1st generation Su-35 prototypes for thrust vector control testing, and shows incredible maneuverability and derived form the SU-27.
The Su-37 includes several updates over the Su-27, including all-weather multi-mode passive electronically scanned array radar with synthetic aperture, terrain avoidance, terrain mapping and a rear-facing radar. The airframe includes a percentage of parts made from composites, unlike the all-metal Su-27. Additionally, the Su-37 incorporates the AL-31FP engines equipped with
thrust vectoring. The Su-37’s exhaust nozzles are variable in pitch and travel plus or minus 15 degrees, they can be operated differentially to provide a rolling moment:
This one shows the thrust vecoting stuff quite well, and while there eon´t be any dog fights in future wars, it sure must be a hell lot of fun to flip like this in your trajectory or do the cobra (kind of an Immelmann with a jet):
Might indeed work as advertised and at least help keeping the heat seekers off your back, check out those incredible HUD data... (excellent Guitar by the way, Yngwie Malström):
OTOH, wonder where the airframes will be in 15-20 yrs when metal/lamination fatigue starts showing, looks they are pulling horrendous G sometimes...
Rattler