Originally Posted by Rainboe
Quite badly damaged aeroplanes can fly again.
I have the impression both you and I come from an era where "file to adjust, bash to fit, rivet to fix, paint to finish" were still valid ways to get an aircraft back in the air. And Queen Mary's were still plentiful.
With present-day wages (to rebuild), insurance premiums, book-keeping methods, and a certain urge to get less-than-pristine assets off the books ASAP, the mentalities may have changed...
Cheers,
CJ