Originally Posted by
Less Hair
Just speculating:
They could want to use the gear bay for some additional equipment and maybe some fixed gear configuration can be made more energy absorbing for VVIP transportation? They never seem to go long distance so the penalty can't be that bad. And costs or spare parts are no consideration.
Cost may not be (probably isn't) a consideration, but spare parts for a 60 year old airframe are likely an issue. And while these may be some of the last H-3s in service, I seriously doubt HMX-1 would allow parts sourced from the boneyard to go anywhere near those aircraft.