The biggest problem with SH is its long nose which restricts its approach alpha to just 8.1* and also its launch Alpha from CATOBAR. Even in Low speed combat it suffers from poor forward visibility due to its long nose which houses its main gun. In a knife fight at low speeds, alpha and visibility is crucial especially when you go into scissors fight, either horizontal or vertical. But in case of launch from STOBAR, you do not have problems of alpha and visibility as you go off a ramp. Do you know that SH sinks 10ft below deck even after best CAT launch. Why does it happen? It happens because the cushion of air under the wings suddenly disappears when the aircraft leaves the deck in a flat trajectory. In a STOBAR the aircraft leaves the deck in an upward trajectory so the sudden loss of greound effect lift does not cause the aircraft to loose lift. It adds to the lift of the aircraft due to launch angle and provides a subdued thrust vectoring as the component of thrust adds to the lift as a function of VxTxsintheta. Theta being the body angle of the aircraft during launch.
A fighter pilot must know his machine very well and should avoid going into regimes where he may get exposed. I had seen the much touted video of Rafale getting a lock on F-22. I dissected it for you. Winning a combat against an Idiot is easy but against seasoned guys, its very difficult. IAF ran circles around USAF in cope 2004 with Mig-21s. And who can doubt that a Mig-21 Bison shot down a F-16. Machine itself maybe outstanding but what matters is the man behind machine. Even in 1965 war we had a far inferior French aircraft fighting off F-86 Sabres piloted by Indians and shooting down couple of them.
