WINGS From Portugal, joined May 2005, 2801 posts, RR: 75 Posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 6121 times:
I found the following article very interesting. It is well worth the read and gives a better understanding of what will be evolved in in the likely process of passenger 777-200/200ER being converted into cargo freighters. From I gather the process will not be a simple task.
Boeing has begun studying passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion products for the Boeing 777 as it prepares to potentially launch a 777-200 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) and a 777-200ER BCF early next decade.
Dennis Floyd revealed "product development studies" were underway for both the 777-200 BCF and 777-200ER BCF.
Charts from Floyd's presentation show the 777-200ER BCF offering cargo carriers a revenue payload of roughly 180,000lbs (81.6t), give or take about 15,000lbs, and the shorter-range 777-200 BCF a payload of roughly 145,000lbs (65.8t), again give or take about 15,000lbs.
"In the long-run we see 777 as a replacement for 747-400s," Fortune says.
He says converting 777s will be far more complicated than converting 747-400s given all the new technology that debuted in the 777, in particular in the cockpit. "It's like converting a convertible into a pick-up truck. It will be a challenge," Floyd says.
Fortune says the technical complexity associated with the 777s will make it very difficult for any company but Boeing to offer conversion products for the 777.
KhenleyDIA From Sweden, joined Feb 2005, 400 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 6068 times:
Maybe a stupid question, but I don't really understand why it will be that difficult. They have a flying freighter now. Why can't they look at the early 777 and the 777F and kind match up the needed changes? (Over simplification, I know) But I would have thought that the new technology would help make it easier to do.
On another note, as it says in the article, I don't see this happening for a while.
KhenleyDIA
Why sit at home and do nothing when you can travel the world.
OldAeroGuy From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 2846 posts, RR: 61 Reply 2, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 6004 times:
Quoting KhenleyDIA (Reply 1): Maybe a stupid question, but I don't really understand why it will be that difficult. They have a flying freighter now. Why can't they look at the early 777 and the 777F and kind match up the needed changes?
One reason there isn't a direct read across is that the passenger 777's use graphite floor beams while the 777F uses aluminum.
Doesn't mean the conversion is impossible, but it does mean the 777F cargo system engineering and design can't be used directly.
Airplane design is easy, the difficulty is getting them to fly - Barnes Wallis
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