ISO-Plane

Overview

The ISO-Plane is an open collaborative aerospace project aiming to design the smallest dedicated cargo aircraft capable of transporting a single 20-foot ISO container autonomously.

The project was initiated in 2012 and is currently developed under the Lesser Open Bee License 1.3, combining academic research, industrial collaboration, and open innovation principles.

The objective is to create a light, efficient, and operationally autonomous aircraft capable of transporting a standard 20-foot ISO container (up to 8 tons payload) directly from ground or truck to aircraft without external loading infrastructure.

Autonomous loading system
Internal cargo integration
Medical container mission configuration

Mission Statement

The ISO-Plane addresses a structural gap in air logistics:

Today, aircraft capable of transporting full ISO containers are large military platforms (e.g., C-130 class).
Smaller regional cargo aircraft cannot accommodate standard ISO containers.
Current air freight requires complex palletization and ground logistics.

ISO-Plane proposes a new paradigm:

Direct transport of a 20-foot ISO container
Autonomous loading/unloading
Operation from conventional runways
Minimal ground infrastructure
Two-pilot crew
Potential multi-role capability (including water bombing via container module)

Key Technical Characteristics

Parameter	Value
Container	1 × 20-foot ISO container (ISO 668 standard)
Payload	Up to 8 tons
MTOW (est.)	~30 tons
Range	Up to 6000 km (mission dependent)
Engines	2 × Pratt & Whitney PW150A turboprop engines
Wing Configuration	High wing
Architecture	Twin-boom configuration
Landing Gear	Q400-derived, retracting into engine nacelles
Cargo System	Ventral three-panel cargo door + robotic lifting arms

Cargo Handling Concept

The defining innovation of the ISO-Plane is its autonomous container handling system.

Ventral Cargo Door

The aircraft features a three-panel ventral opening mechanism allowing:

Ground-level loading
Direct truck-to-aircraft transfer
Pressurized cargo bay compatibility
Structural integrity preservation

Robotic Lifting Arms

The container is handled using:

Four mechanized robotic arms
ISO corner twist-lock interface
Autonomous alignment and positioning
Backup winch system (4 electric winches)

This allows loading:

Directly from ground
From a truck in reverse alignment
Without external cranes or loaders

Aircraft Architecture

Engines

The selected powerplant is the Pratt & Whitney PW150A turboprop, chosen for:

Proven reliability (Q400 platform)
Adequate power-to-weight ratio
Compatibility with ~30t MTOW target

Landing Gear

The main landing gear is derived from the Bombardier Q400:

Retracts into nacelles below high-mounted wings
Preserves ventral cargo bay clearance
Optimizes aerodynamic efficiency

Wing & Structure

High-wing configuration for ground clearance
Central wing box optimized for structural continuity
Pressurized cockpit and cargo compartment
4m fuselage diameter for ISO container integration

Technology Readiness & Development

The project has evolved through several TRL stages:

TRL0 (2012–2014) – Conceptual exploration
TRL1 (2015–2018) – Preliminary architecture definition
TRL2 (2024–2025) – Digital mock-up and validated configuration

TRL2 achievements include:

Validated architectural choices
3D digital mock-up
Structural concept refinement
Functional analysis
Market and economic study
Carbon footprint estimation (operational phase)

The project is currently preparing for TRL3 – detailed engineering design.

Collaborative Model

The ISO-Plane is developed through academic–industrial collaboration including:

ESTACA
ENSTA Paris
Student engineering teams
Aerospace professionals

The project is structured around:

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Functional analysis
Architecture trade studies
Market analysis
System integration studies

All open contributions are published under the Lesser Open Bee License 1.3.

Industrial partners may integrate private modules while preserving the open architecture core.

Market Positioning

Air cargo represents:

~1% of global freight volume
~35% of freight value

The ISO-Plane targets:

Tactical logistics
Remote area supply
Military container transport
Disaster relief operations
Firefighting (modular container-based water system)

Preliminary market analysis estimates:

12 aircraft/year production target
10-year horizon
Approx. €130M unit price (conceptual estimation)

Environmental Considerations

Operational carbon footprint (baseline estimate):

~3400 kg fuel per 2-hour mission
~10–11 tons CO₂ per mission
~9000–11000 tons CO₂ annually (900 flights/year)

Future development directions include:

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Structural weight optimization
Eco-design principles
Hybridization studies (long-term)

Future Development

Next steps (TRL3):

Detailed structural calculations
Aerodynamic refinement
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
CFD studies
Cargo door structural validation
Detailed lifting mechanism design
Industrial partnerships (engines, landing gear, systems)

Join the Project

ISO-Plane is an open collaborative aerospace initiative.

Engineers, students, researchers, and industry stakeholders are welcome to contribute.

For collaboration inquiries and technical documentation:

www.iso-plane.com

ISO-Plane – Rethinking container air logistics.

Iso-Plane

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