"The handle's been replaced 3 times, and the head twice, but it's still George's hatchet!"
It's not uncommon for them to replace wings, etc., over the life of an important airframe. The B-52 airframe apparently is extremely robust - http://taskandpurpose.com/b-52-stratofortress-modernization-plan/
Developing a new aircraft is much, much more expensive than refurbishing an older one.
The trouble with the A-10 is that it's vulnerable to small rockets and similar things, it's not stealthy, and it's a single-purpose airframe when the military needs flexible systems.
Cheers,
Scott.
It's not uncommon for them to replace wings, etc., over the life of an important airframe. The B-52 airframe apparently is extremely robust - http://taskandpurpose.com/b-52-stratofortress-modernization-plan/
Developing a new aircraft is much, much more expensive than refurbishing an older one.
The trouble with the A-10 is that it's vulnerable to small rockets and similar things, it's not stealthy, and it's a single-purpose airframe when the military needs flexible systems.
Cheers,
Scott.