737 Freighter...neat idea

[andrewg]

Kind of a neat idea. This smaller freighter will be able to carry express or overnight packages to smaller airports and be able to do it quickly and efficiently.

Looks like a fairly substantial amount of customers desire this conversion.

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/boeing-...er-program.page

 

[VetteElite]

737 freighters aren't an entirely new idea, this is just the latest conversion program to start converting 737 next gens now that passenger 737NG will begun to be retired as passenger airlines upgrade their fleets to 320neo and 737 MAX. Boeing actually makes the 737-700C which is a convertible freighter, but it hasn't sold well as it's expensive as a new build. Converted freighters are the way to go for small freighters. FedEx bought a substantial number of United 757's to convert to package freighters, but with 757s suitable for conversion running out, Boeing had to do this.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: VetteElite
737 freighters aren't an entirely new idea, this is just the latest conversion program to start converting 737 next gens now that passenger 737NG will begun to be retired as passenger airlines upgrade their fleets to 320neo and 737 MAX. Boeing actually makes the 737-700C which is a convertible freighter, but it hasn't sold well as it's expensive as a new build. Converted freighters are the way to go for small freighters. FedEx bought a substantial number of United 757's to convert to package freighters, but with 757s suitable for conversion running out, Boeing had to do this.


Oh...I see. Good info...thanks.

 

[Mr Nice]

What about a 787-F cargo hauler ?

 

[CT8]

I doubt the freighters run the hours of a passenger plane. I used to see some of them sit all day. That is probably why the older planes are used.

 

[VetteElite]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
What about a 787-F cargo hauler ?


In the future. Right now it's not necessary, the 767-300F is about the same size and makes a lot more sense to build as a freighter at this point in time. Fedex just ordered another 50 or so not too long ago.

Freighters run nowhere near the hours of a passenger plane, so efficiency isn't as big of a deal as capital cost. And the 767, an older plane that hasn't had a passenger order since 2011 or so, is better to build as a freighter since all that line is doing is pumping out freighters and (eventually) 767 tankers (KC-46 to be exact - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_KC-46_Pegasus) for the Air Force. The 787 still has years of backlog (about 800 planes on order to be built for passenger airlines), so producing a freighter on those lines would be very expensive since Boeing would not want lower margins on a freighter than a passenger plane.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
What about a 787-F cargo hauler ?


Give it ten years or so.
It'll come.
Still, container ships are so efficient and there is so much space and weight capacity in newer airliners that the market for new-build freighters is very limited. Boeing learned this the hard way with the 747-8 program. Most long-haul freight is now going by sea or in the pits of airliners.
The days of large volumes of freight crossing either ocean to the US by air may never return.

 

[Mr Nice]

I'm still surprised Boeing went ahead with the 747-8 when the demand for 4 engined aircraft was declining.

Air Force One fleet will be the last 747-8 built.

 

[CT8]

Airfreight will always be used for high value and fast delivery times. Valuable horses are air freighted. Exotic cars. huge 8 foot pipe valves air Freighted etc. If it has to be any where in the world over night air freight will get it year.

 

[Jetronic]

dhl airfreights everything between US/Europe. As do all parcel services.

Except the very big items that don't fit or are too heavy. Not really parcels though.