70 years ago: air freight concept scrapped
The XC-120 packplane project was finally scrapped in August 1952. Based on a converted C-119 military aircraft ("flying boxcar"), the plane designed by US manufacturer Fairchild wanted to adopt the concept of road transport with interchangeable trailers - six years before Malcom McLean's container revolution.
Fairchild envisioned three different containers for specific military logistics needs. One of them would have been an open rack arrangement to be attached to the carrier portion of the plane at points similar to those where the "pods" are attached.
Much lighter in weight than the entire fuselage, this rack would permit the carrying of bulky, heavy items too large to go into the present fuselage.
Despite extensive testing from August 1950, the idea did not catch on and the only prototype was scrapped. Only in the helicopter sector did the USA (S-60) and the Soviet Union (Ka-26, Mi-10) imitate the packplane. (ah)