The Flanker is huge compared to the Hornet...Maybe we should have supersized the thing!

Yeah I know.

Perspective.

But I'm not getting caught up in that just tossing this out there.  In hindsight I wonder if we shouldn't have supersized the Super Hornet when it went in for a design change.  I mean really plus size the beast into an F-14 sized bird...maybe even larger.

We have to remember that the F-18 was derived from the failing contestant in the USAF's Lightweight Fighter competition.  Due to decision made based on economy (and I can't fault them for that part) it ended up being the Navy's mainstay.

Moving into the future and assuming that the F-35C can actually deliver on all the promises it's made (and I seriously doubt that...the Navy would seem to agree considering the limited numbers being bought...in actuality it would make too much sense to cancel the F-35C but that's for another day) it would still seem to be lacking.

So what does the future hold?

More UCAVs.  Definitely more UCAVs.  A supersized Super Hornet?  I think it's probably approaching its design limits.  A plus sized F-35C?  Perhaps but with the move to UCAVs it might not seem practical.

I can't put my finger on it.  UCAVs are the obvious solution but I really think manned fighters will hang on a while longer.  The F-35C is simply failed.  I don't see it making a comeback with the Navy.  A supersized F-18 seems to be just more of the same with longer range.

Who knows.  But the next gen Navy fighter should be a sight to behold...meanwhile the Super Hornet is really tiny next to the Flanker.