The worst Cold War carrier-aircraft choices

What would be the worst Cold War carrier-aircraft choices for the Soviet Union and NATO?

The Forger and a carrier Foxbat are Soviet candidates, while the Lightning or the missile-dependent Sea Vixen are poor NATO choices.

The Yak-38 Forger is treated as a useful test bed that should not have become a frontline carrier aircraft. A MiG-25 Foxbat would create even more severe problems of size, speed, and deck operation. For NATO, the English Electric Lightning is an obviously unsuitable conversion, while the Sea Vixen proves that an actual carrier aircraft could still be a poor answer. The Vixen's unreliable missile dependence, lack of a gun, and high accident rate reflected doctrine advancing faster than the weapons needed to sustain it.