[John Valentine]

You can't just go out and copy someone else's design of a plane, boat, wing, whatever.

YOU can't, that's for sure.

But what the US government (referred to hereafter as US) may do is likely quite a different story, as this design was prepared for US, paid for by US, and owned by US. That makes it ours, and the contract terms undoubtedly make that clear.

I'd be floored if there was any possibility that the A-10's original designers had anything whatsoever to say about what the US does now with their planes.

[BearCub]

But what the US government (referred to hereafter as US) may do is likely quite a different story, as this design was prepared for US, paid for by US, and owned by US. That makes it ours, and the contract terms undoubtedly make that clear

I'm sure that's the case (the contract thing).