>>64429366 (OP)
The vtol requirement evolved out of a DARPA project Lockheed was the major contractor on, so they had a leg up to start with. Boeing came in with worse tech there, but then also bungled the wing construction as they knew composites had a ton of potential, but unfortunately they weren’t there with them in terms of manufacturing ability so the prototype wing came in ~5klbs overweight if memory serves. There’s also the issue that Boeing proper hadn’t had a fighter adopted since the Peashooter, and the major design work was done before the McDD merger, and they in fact had submitted a competing bid in the early stages of the competition. Boeing had an McDD team do their best to salvage something resembling the basic design as the program neared its end, and they did their best, but Lockheed had things in the bag by that point and had the better design even post revision. Do note that Phantom Works and Boeing St. Louis are the legacy of McDonnell Douglas which is why Boeing was able to win F-47 and is competitive enough against Northrop Grumman that they’re having trouble picking a winner, despite the justified industrial base concerns in regards to giving Boeing a 6th gen monopoly.
