Patent ID: 7261257

Claim:
An aircraft for carrying at least one rigid cargo container, comprising: a forward fuselage; an empennage; wings; a beam structure including a first end to which the forward fuselage is attached, a second end to which the empennage is attached, and mounts to structurally engage the at least one rigid cargo container in juxtaposition with the beam structure between the first and second ends, the wings being mounted to the beam structure, wherein the beam structure has sufficient rigidity to support the aircraft in flight when the beam structure is unloaded; wherein the beam structure has insufficient rigidity to support the aircraft in flight when the beam structure is loaded with the at least one rigid cargo container; and wherein the mounts detachably integrate the at least one rigid cargo container as part of the beam structure to provide additional structural rigidity to the beam structure sufficient to support the aircraft in flight; at least one panel fixed relative to the beam structure, wherein the at least one panel at least partially encloses the at least one rigid cargo container; and engines fixed relative to the beam structure.