Lockheed (Very Large Subsonic Transport) VLST

The Very Large Subsonic Transport (VLST) is a multi-use commercial passenger, commercial cargo, and military airlifter roughly 50% larger than the current Lockheed C-5 and Boeing 747. Due to the large size and cost of the VLST, it is unlikely that the commercial market can support more than one aircraft production line, while declining defence budgets will not support a dedicated military VLST. A successful VLST must therefore meet airline requirements for more passenger and cargo capacity on congested routes into slot-limited airports and also provide a cost-effective heavy airlift capacity to support the overseas deployment of US military forces. A successful VLST must satisfy three key missions: commercial passenger service with nominal seating capacity at a minimum of 650 passengers with a range capability of 7,000 to 10,000 miles; commercial air cargo service for containerized cargo to support global manufacturing of high value added products, 'just-in-time' parts delivery