Originally Posted by
treadigraph
It seems pretty astonishing to see KC-135s, B-52s and some U-2s, all built more than 50 years ago still plying their trade, albeit with various upgrades.
That has always amazed me as well - the
youngest B52 in service is over 58 years old, the prototype was first flown over 68 years ago, and they are planning to keep it in service for another 25 years, a total front-line service of over 90 years, one of the longest service life of any aircraft design ever?
The only one that springs to mind that might beat it is the DC3, first flight in 1935 and still earning its living in the Antarctic and elsewhere, as the Basler BT-67 (new engines and avionics, but still the original basic airframes, so not quite “Washington’s axe” ! ) - that could well still be flying commercially 100 years after the first flight.