Whirrlygig C-130!

I know it's just "Popular Mechanics", but the idea seemed pretty good.

The Army is looking into adding a big set of rotor blades on the roof
of a C-130 Hercules for the purpose of forward supply of its units.

The blades would have small jets faired into their tips providing the
spin. This would allow the aircraft to land in very short distances,
and the blades would just autorotate while the four turboprops moved
it along at 300 mph in and out of the danger area.

Apparently a firm is looking into the viability of making such a
conversion. Seems it would not involve too much rebuilding/modification
of the aircraft, and a decision will be made that could put the aircraft
into service by 2008.

The modifications seem simple and possible enough. The takeoff/landing
control software seems likely to be a nightmare!

But the picture looked cool!


SMH