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[QUOTE="Draginass, post: 5233, member: 678"]
135s and 767s are not RORO. They require MHE to offload regardless if the cargo floor is equipped with pallet rollers.  Aircraft such as the 141, C17, C5, and C130 can "roll on roll off" which one can very rapidly offload pallets/rolling stock in a tactical situation (or even airdrop/LAPES) etc. While a very valuable advantage, those aircraft are very expensive and their capability is not always necessary. Much cheaper aircraft such as the 747 can provide the bulk lift with the ROROs providing an initial supply of HiLift MHE and the specialized cargo.

BTW, the cargo floors of KC135s are pretty weak and must be shored up with plywood. It's a lousy cargo aircraft. Even a small jet engine will barely fit through the cargo door. The 135s have done their duty in spades. The KC10s, while not very fuel efficient, still have some life in them. It's time to bring our tanker force into the 21st century with a heavy tanker/airlifter combi like a 767 or even a 777 that would include both boom and a drouge baskets.
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