SW - Lockheed Flatbed

In the 1980s was proposed cargo aircraft design that mounted large loads "in the open" on the back of the aircraft, similar to a flatbed truck. The name "flatbed" was unofficial, as a more formal name was never assigned. The patent application shows it carrying two tanks (looking more like M4 Shermans than anything modern), and they also released concept artwork displaying various truck-like palletted loads mounted in a similar fashion. In order to allow loading and unloading at the same time, the cockpit area at the nose of the aircraft could be rotated to the right, allowing trucks to approach both ends. Additionally, they proposed a passenger carrying module the same size as the cargo fairing. These modules could be unloaded as a single unit, sliding forward off the bed to a special-purpose truck. The aircraft has a number of design features in common with the Lockheed L-1011, most obviously the crew cabin and cockpit area, and the overall size and layout.

Although there was a fair amount of public information released about the design in the early 1980s, the design was never picked up by the US Air Force and disappeared by the mid-80s.