V/STOL Aircraft Configurations and Opportunities in the Pacific Basin

Advanced aircraft configurations offer new transportation options for the Pacific Basin. This paper describes a range of vehicles from low-disk to high-disk loading aircraft, including high-speed rotorcraft, subsonic vertical and short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft, and subsonic short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. The status and advantages of the various configurations are described. Some of these configurations show promise for satisfying many of the transportation requirements of the Pacific Basin; as such, they could revolutionize short-haul transportation in that region.