The aircraft is designed to fly with one engine, one tail, one elevator and half a wing torn off.
...the landing gears are all hinged toward the rear of the aircraft, so if hydraulic power is lost the pilot can drop the gear and a combination of gravity and wind resistance will open and lock the gear in place.
I like just about everything that flies. Having said that there is some undeniable aesthetic appeal to a sleek jet that can scream across the sky and perform all manner of aerial gymnastics that set the pulse racing. But in each generation there is a plane that fliers will latch onto and love for its durability and capability. The P-51 Mustang & F4F Wildcat in WWII comes to mind, and in Korea the F-86 Sabre, both very durable and capable. The A-10's cockpit sits basically in a bathtub of armor and it can carry a buttload of weapons and take a beating and still fly. Being able to rain fire on the enemy and RTB alive is really all any pilot hopes for. So while the A-10 is not sleek, sexy and fast, it is well regarded by those who fly it, and that in the end is all that matters.