On 6 Feb 2006 08:41:38 -0800, "Douglas Eagleson"
wrote:

Thats for a reasonable repy.

My idea was for a rebuilt A-10, meaning the design goes back to the
manufacturer. All the real professionals here need to complain of the
lack of adequate fighter design, in my opinion.

Supersonic critical airspeed appears a worrysome thing when in fact it
is a simple airframe stress. Nothing drastic happens. An A-10 is a
slow speed design and the basic idea was to do a cheap re-engine to get
an plane suitable for a fighter pilot.

Please take one of the many clues that have been offered already:
planes are designed for a specific performance envelope. Changing
engines will do something but not modify the basic flight
characteristics (much). Wings break off when overstressed, the
canopies will collapse when hit by supersonic shock waves, non swept
wings have very bad performance characteristics in supersonic flight,
etc. etc. etc.

The A-10 doesn't carry an air intercept radar, a necessity for a
fighter aircraft.