Originally Posted by
con-pilot
Very true, years ago, very many years ago, I read an article in the 'Tinker Takeoff' (yes Tinker AFB has its own newspaper) about a B-52 that had just come out of a major overhaul/upgrade and the only piece of original equipment/part in the aircraft was the co-pilot's left rudder peddle.
Everything else, including the aircraft skin had been replaced over the years since this particular B-52 rolled off the Boeing assembly line.
How can that be? To remove the aircraft skin leaves a skeletal frame. If the frame isn't replaced (at which point you've entirely dismantled the aircraft anyway), then at least the frame remains original. I find it hard to believe that an aircraft would be entirely reduced to parts and then rebuilt. Especially in a fleet of 700+.