To what extent would it be possible to trade off between that and more abrasion-resistant materials? Are there materials with a comparable or higher strength-to

To what extent would it be possible to trade off between that and more abrasion-resistant materials? Are there materials with a comparable or higher strength-to-weigh ratio that have less tendency to gradually ablate in 600mph air/dust/rain/etc? (Are there materials that would work better but cost more, and aluminum-with-thick-paint is a cost tradeoff?) For clarity: I'm sure that aeronautics engineers have thought extensively about that question, and while it's possible that a small fraction of the answer is "we've always done it this way" and there might exist better alternatives, my expectation on balance is of learning the reasons why it's done this way.