In the years following World War II, aircraft manufacturers and militaries alike were in search of new and innovative solutions to transporting cargo and personnel into and out of war zones and around the world. With stalwarts like the Douglas C-47 setting the bar high, Fairchild rose to the challenge, developing the C-82 Packet and its improved successor, the C-119 Flying Boxcar.
These new designs incorporated then-modern tricycle landing gear and, notably, rear cargo ramps to expedite the loading and unloading of vehicles and outsized cargo. However, when the logistics behind the delivery of troops and supplies were explored from a higher level, an innovative new concept emerged.
