“The aircraft is designed to establish new standards in its category, with a lower operating cost and the flexibility to perform a variety of missions: cargo and troop transport, troop and cargo air delivery, aerial refueling, search and rescue, and combating forest fires, among others.”
Just like the Warthog, no respect for the C-130. I imagine these folks could not have reached for their design target if not for Lockheed ending the building of new C-130’s. Let’s see this thing land and take off on freshly cleared jungle hilltops.
The slender tail and lack of a ramp means only side-door cargo access. It’s a very different approach, that’s for sure. I agree, I’d like to see how it does on nasty overgrown jungle strips.
Where did you get the idea Lockheed stopped building C-130s?
To the best of my knowledge, they’re sold-out for years to come.