Aircraft overview
The Boeing 747 Freighter uses the 747’s wide fuselage for cargo on the main deck and in the holds beneath it. The factory-built 747-400 Freighter has an upward-opening nose door: long pallets can be loaded straight into the aircraft, below the raised flight deck.
The 747-400 Freighter rolled out on 8 March 1993. Its two-pilot digital flight deck, four turbofan engines and winglets place it in the same generation as the passenger 747-400, but its loading system and structural payload limits are those of a dedicated cargo aircraft.
Photograph: Colin Cooke Photo · 22 April 2021 · Photo source: G-CLAA Boeing 747-446F Cargologic LHR 22.4.21 · CC BY-SA 2.0
At a glance
Boeing 747-400 factory freighter · CF6-80C2B1 configuration with an 800,000 lb maximum take-off weight
- Engines
- Four high-bypass turbofansGE CF6-80C2, Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce RB211 installations; model-specific ratings.
- Flight crew
- Two pilots747-400 digital flight deck.
- Length
- 70.67 m747-400 factory freighter drawing.
- Wingspan
- 64.44 m at jig position64.92 m at maximum gross weight with full fuel.
- Maximum take-off weight
- 800,000 lb · 362,873 kgCF6-80C2B1 configuration.
- Maximum landing weight
- 652,000 lb · 295,742 kgSame CF6-80C2B1 factory-freighter configuration.
- Usable fuel
- 53,765 US gal · 203,522 litresSelected column, without the optional extra tail-tank capacity.
- Structural payload limit
- 246,046 lb · 111,604 kgSelected factory-freighter configuration.
- Main-deck cargo volume
- 530 m³Twenty-nine 10 ft containers in the planning arrangement.
In Air Defender
Role guidance · v0.8.16.0
Air Defender v0.8.16.0 lists the Boeing 747 Freighter as a Cargo Aircraft. Its general type name does not establish a particular real-aircraft configuration.
Compare this freighter with the passenger 747, then use Aircraft Data and flight-plan information for the contact you are investigating.
Game catalogue values · v0.8.16.0
In-game specifications
These figures come from the game’s general aircraft reference. A matching civilian register entry can supply different fields in Aircraft Data. How to read the two layouts →
- Role
- Cargo Aircraft
- Category
- Cargo Aircraft
- Service ceiling
- 45,100 ftA reference upper height. Read Flight Info for the contact’s present height.
- Maximum speed
- 516 knotsA reference maximum, not the speed the aircraft is flying now.
- Cruise speed
- 490 knotsA typical speed for the main part of a flight, not a guaranteed commanded speed.
- Stall speed
- 145 knotsA reference for specified conditions. Stalling means the wing loses lift, not that an engine stops.
- Typical crew
- 2
- Powerplant
- Four turbofan engines (GE or Pratt & Whitney) Compare engine types →
- Manufacturer
- Boeing Commercial Airplanes (USA)
Use the right procedure
In depth
The 747-400 generation
The 747-400 developed the earlier long-body 747 layout with changes to its wing tips, engines, materials and flight deck. The two-pilot cockpit uses digital avionics; the aircraft also incorporates carbon brakes and lighter aluminium alloys.
The raised forward deck is an important part of the family’s shape. On the factory freighter it leaves the main-deck nose opening below the cockpit, allowing straight-in loading.
Wing and engine installations
The standard -400 wing has tip extensions and winglets. Its span is 64.44 m in the assembly reference position and 64.92 m in the fully fuelled, maximum-gross-weight condition. The 747-400 Domestic has a different, shorter wingtip arrangement without winglets.
Four high-bypass turbofans are mounted under the wings. Available installations come from General Electric, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce. An engine-family name alone does not establish a particular thrust rating or approved aircraft weight.
Nose loading and the main deck
The nose door swings upwards and the mechanised handling system moves pallets or containers on powered rollers. Loads up to 40 ft (12 m) long can enter through the nose. An optional side door provides another loading route for taller cargo modules.
The published main-deck arrangement accommodates twenty-nine 10 ft containers and 530 m³ of cargo volume. Container shape, loading arrangement and structural limits all affect the load that can actually be carried.
Freighter weights and payload
In the 800,000 lb take-off configuration shown here, the landing limit is 652,000 lb and the zero-fuel limit is 610,000 lb. The corresponding structural payload limit is 246,046 lb (111,604 kg). Other approved weight options differ.
The lower holds provide additional container and bulk space. Main-deck volume, total payload weight and fuel capacity are different constraints: having unused space does not by itself permit more weight.
Passenger, Combi and Domestic versions
The Combi combines a passenger area with cargo in the aft main deck, loaded through a side door behind the wing. Its cargo arrangement can accommodate up to seven 10 ft pallets or containers.
The Domestic version is intended for high-capacity short routes, with lower take-off-weight options and no winglets. A passenger conversion, a Combi and a factory-built freighter therefore need their own loading and equipment descriptions.
Variants
747-400 passenger
Long-body passenger configuration with an upper and main passenger deck.
747-400 Combi
Passenger/cargo layout with a side cargo door aft of the wing.
747-400 Domestic
Short-route, high-capacity version with lower weight options and no winglets.
747-400 Freighter
Factory cargo version with a nose door and mechanised main-deck handling.
After 1998
2010–2011 · 747-8
The 747-8 Freighter first flew on 8 February 2010; the passenger Intercontinental began flight testing on 20 March 2011. These are later developments than the 747-400.