3347. Weight Study of the HALO: An Advanced Tactical Transport/Tanker

Paper

Abstract

Deus Ex Machina Aeronautics is proud to present the Halo, an advanced Tactical Transport and Tanker (T3) designed in concert with Boeing PhantomWorks to address the current deficiency in strategic and intra-theater transport. The Halo is a high wing, subsonic aircraft powered by two reliable General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofans mounted atop of the fuselage and fed by a dorsal inlet. This arrangement, together with planform edge alignment, endows the Halo with a lower radar cross-section than any current transport and enhances its survivability on the battlefield. The double-wide cargo bay was chosen for its versatility and speedy loading/unloading, a decisive factor in increasing the aircraft?s throughput. The Halo is capable of refueling all aircraft in the U.S. inventory, and is able to get nearer to the threat area thanks to the incorporation of a high level of survivability in the design. In its transport role, the Halo will increase the mobility of ground forces by delivering 70,000 pounds of payload to austere locations close to the front. These locations are currently accessible by C-130s only, which do not possess the internal payload capacity, the survivability, and the range required to fulfill the current mission. Deus Ex Machina Aeronautics designed a cost effective system, a necessity at a time of shrinking defense budgets. A multidisciplinary approach was used between propulsion, aerodynamics, structures, and materials members of the team in order to achieve synergies leading to a highly optimized system under stringent signature constraints, and possessing the lowest takeoff gross weight compatible with impressive mission effectiveness. The cavernous cargo bay, the high wing configuration, and the high lift systems confer the Halo an unparalleled degree of versatility, which enables the undertaking of alternative missions. Affordability is to some extent a function of the number of aircraft produced; the increased procurement numbers stemming from the procurement of the specialized versions guarantees a lower unit acquisition cost across the entire fleet.