[Poohbah]

Perhaps you're right. I would suspect it might cost $15 million to replace it, since R&D played into that figure. Still, new ideas might be incorporated in the replacement, which 'could' drive the cost up again.

The folks who built it put a LOT of ingenuity into it. How many $15 million airplanes could hit 96,000 feet MSL?

As for new ideas: if they deliver a better plane for the same price, that's pretty much bucking the aeronautical trend.

[DoughtyOne]

Every time I saw that aircraft I had this urge to take some wire, some plastic bags, some scotch tape and other goodies and run out to the back yard.

[NovemberCharlie]

How many $15 million airplanes could hit 96,000 feet MSL?

My uncle works with a blimp that makes 70,000 feet, and it's only $150,000.