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I'd discount 99% of the men in the trade press. There are about 2-3 I respect. The rest are basically plane-spotters, some with PhDs.
..but its a very long road from 1 flying prototype to an...

Really? Where is the evidence? One photograph of the plane?

It is entirely possible that the J-20 may have abysmal manoeuvring characteristics, may not be that stealthy and have a wealth of...

Mate! That is not good history or analysis. A MIG-17 could do nothing better than an F-4 except sustained turns at low speeds <450kts.
Yes the F4's lack of a gun, was criminally stupid, but that...

Agree, and improved F16, A-10, AV-8B+, and F-15X all do that. Be aware, Tthe real capability/performance of upgraded types is usually under-played because they threaten the viability of new types.
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Let me ask the question the other way around.

Why would continuing to build and employ F16, A-10, AV-8B+, and F-15X be a bad idea? Why wouldn't this work?