The key is to design an aircraft to fulfill a specific role, not one aircraft for multiple diversified roles. When this happens, compromises decrease the value verses both cost and capability.
You mean like the F-35?
I've always been impressed with the A-10. I've seen pictures of the shells - they have so much powder they look like 2 liter Coke bottles with a big stopper
But the Air Force brass has always hated it and tried to get rid of it, dating back pretty much to it's introduction - claiming an F-16 could do the same job
But I'd bet serious money that if you told an AF pilot he/she would be going into harms way, doing close air support in an area of heavy anti-aircraft defense, 10 out of 10 would pick the A-10 over an F16.
