i want to rationalise it by saying that the original jet did not have to have to interoperate with existing systems (because there was none), and that the vehicle had a single purpose, little to no electronics or software, and had very few inter-connected systems. It was literally a jet engine, with mounted seats and wings.<p>The joint strike fighter is a behemoth of a multi-tasker...i m sure the ejection is somehow tied to all the electronics, and have sensors, etc etc. I m also sure that as a project grows larger, the amount of beaurocracy also causes inefficiencies...so not sure whether my rationalisation is correct or just delusional.