5 tonnes , 500 metres , 5000 ft on a budget ?
The mission : deliver 20 tonnes per day in 5 tonne payloads into a 500 metre level runway at an elevation of 5,000 ft , 45 mins from the sea level base airfield
The aircraft would be landing fully loaded and coming out empty or with a partial load no greater than 1 or 2 tonnes
Aircraft budget : $1 to $1.5 million
Candidates that spring to mind : DHC-4 Carribou , DHC-5D Buffalo , AN-72
The Carribou is out as it burns avgas which is difficult to get and expensive at this location ($4 to $6 per litre ! )
Buffalo ? probably out of this budget range , maybe lucky if an ex-military one can be found cheap
AN-72 , maybe some certification issues with the local aviation authority
Is this mission impossible or is there a budget STOL transport I haven't thought about ?
Last edited by aseanaero; 14th Apr 2008 at 11:38.