I always try to reign in the "Oooo... Pretty! Me Want!" reaction by thinking how it would fit into the reconstruction plan. When I apply this to aircraft, I keep coming back to a short list for my manned depot/manufacturing incubator base. There are two VTOLs that usually make the list, CH-47 and V-22, and the C-130. I can make a good case for the C-27 as well. All these aircraft are proved, some with a shaky start, and have reconstruction uses as well. The CH-47 makes for an suitable sky crane, carries 10 tonnes and has the ability to transport many patients as an air ambulance. V-22 is much faster than the CH-47 with half the payload. The C-130 can carry a newly rebuilt or manufactured CNC Mill in the cargo bay for delivery to a plant with an improvised runway far way. The fact that all these aircraft are multi role from early warning, in-flight/ground vehicle refueling, vehicle and troop transport to support MARS operation is good too.
I think this is a needed conversation. It is completely unreasonable to assume the Project would not have air assets. But I keep going back to thinking why they would have them first and then picking airframes that make sense.
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