The Fizzled-Out Promise of the Lockheed ‘Flatbed’

The concept aircraft would utilize an open platform and various modules to carry a wide variety of loads ranging from military equipment to passengers.

Jason McDowell

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at 12:14 PM ET

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Unconventional in many respects, an initial study found the Lockheed ‘Flatbed’ concept both technically and economically feasible. [Credit: Lockheed]

Key Takeaways:

The Lockheed Flatbed was a 1980 concept for a highly versatile transport aircraft designed to combine passenger, standard cargo, and outsized military equipment capabilities using an open platform and interchangeable modules.
A core, unconventional aspect was its ability to carry large military vehicles unsheltered, which aerodynamic studies found technically plausible despite significant increases in drag and fuel consumption.
The design prioritized operational efficiency through features like a hinged nose for quick loading/unloading and proposed modular passenger systems for rapid turnarounds.
A joint NASA/Lockheed study concluded the concept was technically and economically feasible and worthy of further examination, but it never progressed beyond the initial study phase.

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In 1980, a small team of engineers from Lockheed explored a bizarre concept, the likes of which had never been studied before.

The group recognized that the transport aircraft category traditionally comprised three separate subcategories—passenger, cargo, and outsized cargo. It then created a concept that would combine all three. Aptly called the “Flatbed,” the concept aircraft would utilize an open platform and various modules to carry a wide variety of loads ranging from military equipment to passengers.