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The aerodynamic features of the C-5A discussed will include only those items which posed a significant challenge to the aerodynamicist: airfoil sections, high lift systems, and control and augmentation systems. While the cruise configuration is quite conventional in that the C-5A uses a moderately swept wing, a tee-tail, and wing-pylon-mounted engines, the design requirements for forward and aft straight-in fuselage loading coupled with the provision of personnel accommodations, airdrop capability, and extremely high flotation, dictated fuselage and landing gear configurations which required an intensive effort to reduce aerodynamic drag to an absolute minimum level. This effort will be discussed. The design of the high lift system was dictated by extremely stringent airport requirements and the high wing loading necessary to achieve optimum matching of airframe and engine in the cruise regime.

The designs of three short takeoff and landing (STOL) commercial transports are described, and their initial and direct operating costs compared with those of conventional high-speed jet transports. STOL performance can be provided at comparable costs by propeller driven aircraft, but at a large sacrifice in cruise speed. STOL performance and comparable cruise speeds result in airplanes with significantly increased costs. Existing airports in the United States are classified by field length, to show the available number of smaller airports which could be used by STOL aircraft. It is suggested that, for business aircraft, the ability to operate from shorter fields does not justify the higher costs, since it may be less expensive to increase runway lengths than to operate significantly more expensive airplanes.