Warbird Information Exchange

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" excuse me stewardess I speak jive"

I see it as a supplement to the KC-767 and C-5 fleet more than a replacement for any particular airframe or the "future". I think the CRAF is a great thing and does a lot of good work flying non-outsized cargo, but something like the BWB concept would be able to add tankers to the fleet and supplant the CRAF fleet with high capacity (both volumetric and weight) transports for a decent cost. If we could ever get passengers to be okay with how the seating would be done in a BWB aircraft, it'd also be a very efficient long range airliner to replace the 747.

I've always thought it would make a wonderful box hauler for, as CAP says, out sized items and a potential tanker. I've also always doubted it's usage as a passenger airframe given the Newtonian dynamics, a standard rate turn to the right would cause granny in seat 2 A to be compressed like a melon in an arbor press and would cause the guy sitting in 34R to become 9 feet tall for a few seconds neither of whom would be really happy with their flight on 'NARROW SEAT AIRLINES'.
It's biggest problem is it's appearance. The USAF got all wet and sweaty and left puddles on the floor over the YC-15 because it 'looks like our concepts of a ayrplain' (C-141, C-5, Il-76, BAC 146, everyone doing a MUPPETS group nod) while the equally capable YC-14 'looks weird' (then why did Antonov decide to copy the YC-14 for the 'Coaler' and not the YC-15?), airlines wouldn't go near the SONIC CRUISER because it didn't fit into the 'belt and suspenders' concept of 'whut a ayrplain looks like'to the seat sellers and like dogs, people are suspicious of things that, in their narrow constraints 'don't look quite normal' even if the thing was proven to be able to take off with empty tanks from Los Angeles and arrive in Tokyo with full ones.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Love it - how cool would that plane full size be??!!

Tom P.