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A proposito di X-31. Inizialmente le manovre post-stallo sono sembrate la carta vincente e l'X-31 ha vinto la stragrande maggioranza dei combattimenti simulati con gli F-18. Ma poi: The aircraft that the 422 TES brought to the evaluation were the F-15C Eagle equipped with the Pratt & Whitney 220 engine and the F-16C Block 52 with the Pratt & Whitney 229 engine. Both of these airplanes had a considerable thrust-toweight advantage over the X-31 (and over the Navy’s F-14D and F/A-18C as well), and the 422 TES pilots used this capability to their advantage. For the first time, close-in-combat engagements now favored the X-31’s adversaries. The X-31 pilots were unable to dictate the fights by using post-stall technology to force the F-15 and F-16 to deplete energy and enter the short-range gun “killing ground.” In short, the up-engined F-15 and F-16 aircraft had sufficient engine power to remain outside the phone booth. Instead, the 422 TES aircraft used their considerable thrust-to-weight advantage to establish an altitude sanctuary where the X-31’s post-stall technology could not be used offensively. Among the lessons learned from this evaluation was that an aircraft with post-stall technology must also have thrust-to-weight capability comparable to its adversaries. Post-stall technology is not a replacement for other fighter performance capabilities but is rather an addition to them.