Should it be developed, the mother of all transport planes would be the Pelican Ultra. The main fuselage compartment of the Pelican Ultra is designed to be 50 feet wide by 200 feet long. The height of 18.3 feet would be sufficient for two tiers. Two more cargo areas would be located in the wings. Together, the four cargo areas offer 29,900 square feet of space.

With a wingspan of 500 feet, the Pelican Ultra would carry a maximum of 2.8 million pounds of cargo--that's 17 M1 battle tanks--for a distance of up to 3,000 miles. For longer-range missions of up to 10,000 miles, the aircraft could carry payloads of up to 1.5 million pounds. With the possibility of access to foreign airfields being denied during a conflict, the Pelican Ultra thus offers a way to transport armor and large weapons to a destination without a stopover.

To make that 10,000-mile journey, the Pelican Ultra would fly at a cruising speed of 240 knots at a very low altitude over water, exploiting the aerodynamic benefits of wing-in-ground-effects to help extend its range. Over land, the Pelican Ultra would cruise at 390 knots at 20,000 feet but the range would be reduced to about 6,000 miles.

But can a plane that dwarfs a 747 land at a conventional-size airport? Fortunately, the Pelican Ultra can as the plane folds its wings for landing and takeoff, reducing its wingspan to a slightly more diminutive 340 feet while on the ground, says Lorin A. Bliss, manager of strategic development, advanced transports and tankers for Phantom Works.


Comprimento: 122 metros
Envergadura: 152 metros
Peso Máximo da Carga (voando entre 7 e 17 metros sobre a água): 1270 toneladas
Trem de Pouso (quando usado em pista): 76 rodas
Altitude Maxima: 6000 metros


Comparison of size between the Boeing 747 and the 'Pelican'




Wing in Ground Effect Lift