Nexus light freighter/passenger project

[hesham]

Hi,

http://books.google.com.eg/books?id=rBksUk40jlEC&pg=PA200&dq=wing+forward-swept&hl=ar&ei=-_SATPjeJMiLOPubrKsO&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=true

 

[riggerrob]

Which makes me wonder why we still have no single-engined cargo planes with rear ramps. Shorts Skyvan and PZL Skytruck seem to be the only airplanes in the 19 seat category.
Despite several attempts (e.g. GAF Hawk) none have gotten anywhere close to production.
Was it simply a matter of early turbo-props not being reliable enough?
Is it a question of insurance companies (e.g. representing large oil and mining companies) insisting on twin engines?

 

[hesham]

Which makes me wonder why we still have no single-engined cargo planes with rear ramps. Shorts Skyvan and PZL Skytruck seem to be the only airplanes in the 19 seat category.
Despite several attempts (e.g. GAF Hawk) none have gotten anywhere close to production.
Was it simply a matter of early turbo-props not being reliable enough?
Is it a question of insurance companies (e.g. representing large oil and mining companies) insisting on twin engines?

The twin engine is better my dear Riggerrob.

 

[southwestforests]

why we still have no single-engined cargo planes with rear ramps

A potential factor could be that removing the engine from the fuselage allows more payload room in a given length of fuselage; true, maybe only a meter/yard or two of floor length is gained, but floor length is floor length.
And perhaps even more importantly, moving propellors up to twin motors on the wing allows fuselage to sit closer to ground thereby reducing loading ramp height/angle

 

[riggerrob]

why we still have no single-engined cargo planes with rear ramps

A potential factor could be that removing the engine from the fuselage allows more payload room in a given length of fuselage; true, maybe only a meter/yard or two of floor length is gained, but floor length is floor length.
And perhaps even more importantly, moving propellors up to twin motors on the wing allows fuselage to sit closer to ground thereby reducing loading ramp height/angle

A prop does not have to be hung from the very front of a fuselage. A couple of Czech or Polish sketches show the propeller ABOVE the cockpit and turning immediately in front of the windshield. By placing the cockpit BELOW the propeller, they improved the pilot(s) view downwards and to the front.
A few have sketched single props mounted on pylons or vertical fins (see Britten-Norman Trislander).