Cargo airplanes are traditionally derived from two sources: passenger aircraft designs and military airlifters. The advances in drone flying, however, suggest an interesting possibility: simplified fixed-wing cargo airplanes without pressurization. Operating from secondary airports, these specialized cargo airframes could lower the cost of air freight and create a new class of large airplane. 

* * *

Want to watch this podcast as a video? End of the Line is available on engineering.com TV along with all of our other shows such as This Week in Engineering, Designing the Future, and, Manufacturing the Future.