FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
JDK1.8.0_66

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Window 7

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
In one of the last JDK 1.8 versions the tabbing behaviour for radio button groups was changed.
See e.g. https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8033699

Now, under circumstances, some focusable fields are not reachable anymore.

For example:

<Radio Button 1> <Radio Button 2> <Textarea 1>
<Radio Button 3> <Radio Button 4> <Textarea 2>
<Radio Button 7> <Radio Button 6> <Textarea 3>

The focus will always jump to "Textarea 3" if the user uses "tabs" at RadioButton1, RB3, RB7 or RB6.
Textarea 1 and Textarea 2 are only reachable, if the user uses the cursor-keys to select RB2 or RB4 and presses thereafter the tab-key.

The expected behaviour in current Java version for this example is: (some RB auf RB-Group) -> Textarea 1 -> Textarea 2 -> Testarea 3 -> back to start...
The old expected behaviour before 1.8_40 was: RB1 -> RB2 -> Textarea 1 --> RB3 -> ...

Currently the behaviour is nonpractical. The user could not tab to "Textarea 1" or "Textarea 2" in an easily comprehensible manner.

Perhaps a property to switch to the old behaviour would be a workaround, because the new behaviour is not always the best idea...

REGRESSION. Last worked in version 8u72

ADDITIONAL REGRESSION INFORMATION:
I suppose the bug results from a change in 1.8_4x
JDK-8033699

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
See source code example

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
The new expected behaviour for the example is: (some RB auf RB-Group) -> Textarea 1 -> Textarea 2 -> Testarea 3 -> back to start...
ACTUAL -
"Option 1" pressing Tab --> cursor Jumps to Textfield 2
"Option 2" pressing Tab --> cursor Jumps to Textfield 1

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public class FocusCycleRootTest
{
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        JFrame window = new JFrame("Test");
        window.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
         
        JPanel rootPanel = new JPanel();
        rootPanel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
         
        JPanel formPanel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(3, 3));
        formPanel.setFocusTraversalPolicy(new LayoutFocusTraversalPolicy());
        formPanel.setFocusCycleRoot(true);
         
        JRadioButton option1 = new JRadioButton("Option 1", true);
        JRadioButton option2 = new JRadioButton("Option 2");
        JRadioButton option3 = new JRadioButton("Option 3");
        JRadioButton option4 = new JRadioButton("Option 4");
         
        ButtonGroup radioButtonGroup = new ButtonGroup();
        radioButtonGroup.add(option1);
        radioButtonGroup.add(option2);
        radioButtonGroup.add(option3);
        radioButtonGroup.add(option4);
         
        formPanel.add(option1);
        formPanel.add(option2);
        formPanel.add(new JTextField("1 - focusable, but not reachable"));
        formPanel.add(option3);
        formPanel.add(option4);
        formPanel.add(new JTextField("2 - focusable, great!"));
        formPanel.add(new JTextField("3 - another focusable textfield"));
         
        rootPanel.add(formPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
         
        JButton okButton = new JButton("OK");
        rootPanel.add(okButton, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
         
        window.add(rootPanel);
        window.pack();
        window.setVisible(true);
    }
}
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
I spent some time on debugging the java swing code and discovered the following cause:

In SortingFocusTraversalPolicy the focus cycle is calculated.
See getFocusTraversalCycle(aContainer) --> enumerateAndSortCycle()

In this order the RadioButton entries are separately arranged.
Later in BasicRadioButtonUI.class the method "containsInGroup" checks, whether the component belongs to a buttongroup. In this case the element behind the last buttongroup element will be taken. --> That is why the focus jumps from the first element to the element behind the last element of the radiobutton-group. But this is not correct, if there are other components between the radio button group elements, that do not belong to the radio-button group.

Solution:
The button group should be considered while sorting the focus-cycle. The containsInGroup check in BasicRadioButtonUI::getFocusTransferBaseComponent is to late to fix the focus behaviour.