Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter
Encyclopedia
The Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF) or Dreamlifter is a wide-body
cargo aircraft
. Cargo is placed in the aircraft by the world's longest cargo loader. Constructed by drastic modifications to an existing Boeing 747-400
, it is used exclusively for transporting 787 aircraft parts to Boeing's assembly plants from suppliers around the world.
announced on October 13, 2003 that, due to the length of time required by land and marine shipping
, air transport will be the primary method of transporting parts for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (then known as the 7E7). Initially, three used passenger 747-400 aircraft were to be converted into an outsize configuration in order to ferry sub-assemblies from Japan and Italy to North Charleston, South Carolina
and then to Washington for final assembly, but a fourth was subsequently added to the program. The Large Cargo Freighter has a bulging fuselage similar in concept to the Super Guppy
and Airbus A300-600ST Beluga
outsize cargo aircraft, which are also used for transporting wings and fuselage sections. It can hold three times the volume of a 747-400F freighter.
The LCF conversion was partially designed by Boeing's Moscow
bureau and Boeing Rocketdyne
with the swing tail designed in partnership with Gamesa Aeronáutica
of Spain
. Modifications were carried out in Taiwan
by Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation, a joint venture of Evergreen Group's EVA Air
and General Electric
, Boeing has acquired the four second-hand 747-400s; one former Air China
aircraft, two former China Airlines
aircraft, and one former Malaysia Airlines
aircraft.
The first 747 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF) was rolled out of the hangar at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on August 17, 2006. It successfully completed its first test flight on September 9, 2006 from this airport.
The 747 LCF's unusual appearance has drawn comparisons to the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile
and the Hughes H-4 Hercules
("Spruce Goose"). Due to its ungainly form, exacerbated by the fact that the need for immediate testing resulted in the first model remaining unpainted for some time, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president Scott Carson jokingly apologized to 747
designer Joe Sutter
that he was "sorry for what we did to your plane."
On September 16, 2006, N747BC arrived at Boeing Field
, Seattle to complete the flight test program. Swing-tail testing was done at the Boeing factory in Everett. The second airplane, N780BA, made its inaugural test flight on February 16, 2007. The third began modification in 2007. The first two LCFs entered service in 2007 to support the final assembly of the first 787 Dreamliners.
Delivery times for the 787's wings, built in Japan, will be reduced from around 30 days to just over eight hours with the 747 LCF. Evergreen International Airlines
(unrelated to EVA Air or EGAT), a U.S. air freight operator based in McMinnville, Oregon
, operated the LCF fleet until August 2010. Then Atlas Air
, which was awarded a nine-year contract for the operation of the aircraft in March 2010, took over LCF operation. Evergreen has achieved a 93% on flight schedule performance with the LCF.
During flight testing in November 2006, a Cessna 172
being used for a training flight encountered the 747 LCF's wake turbulence
while on approach to Boeing Field. The small aircraft "rolled almost instantly to a 90-degree right bank and descended in a nearly straight nose-down attitude", according to the NTSB report, until the instructor pilot was able to regain control at just 150 feet (45.7 m) of altitude.
Certification was initially planned for early 2007, but was pushed back to June 2007. The aircraft's winglets were removed to resolve excess vibration and other handling characteristics prior to final certification. In the meantime, as part of the flight test program, LCF delivered major sections of the 787 from partner sites around the world to the Boeing factory in Everett, WA
for final assembly. The 747 LCF was granted FAA
type certification on June 2, 2007. From its first flight in 2006 until certification in 2007, the Dreamlifter completed 437 hours of flight testing along with 639 hours of ground testing.
Of the four 747 Dreamlifters Boeing planned to acquire, three were complete and operational by June 2008, and the fourth became operational in February 2010.
Sources: Boeing 747-400 specifications,Boeing 747 Airport Report, 747 LCF fact sheet
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
cargo aircraft
Cargo aircraft
A cargo aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft designed or converted for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers. They are usually devoid of passenger amenities, and generally feature one or more large doors for the loading and unloading of cargo...
. Cargo is placed in the aircraft by the world's longest cargo loader. Constructed by drastic modifications to an existing Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
, it is used exclusively for transporting 787 aircraft parts to Boeing's assembly plants from suppliers around the world.
Development
Boeing Commercial AirplanesBoeing Commercial Airplanes
Boeing Commercial Airplanes designs, assembles, markets and sells large commercial jet aircraft and provides product-related maintenance and training to customers worldwide...
announced on October 13, 2003 that, due to the length of time required by land and marine shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
, air transport will be the primary method of transporting parts for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (then known as the 7E7). Initially, three used passenger 747-400 aircraft were to be converted into an outsize configuration in order to ferry sub-assemblies from Japan and Italy to North Charleston, South Carolina
North Charleston, South Carolina
North Charleston is the 3rd largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina with incorporated areas in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. On June 12, 1972 the city of North Charleston incorporated and was the 9th largest city in South Carolina. According to the 2010 Census, North...
and then to Washington for final assembly, but a fourth was subsequently added to the program. The Large Cargo Freighter has a bulging fuselage similar in concept to the Super Guppy
Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography*Taylor, Michael J.H. . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions. London. 1989. ISBN 0-517-69186-8-External links:* * *...
and Airbus A300-600ST Beluga
Airbus Beluga
-External links:*...
outsize cargo aircraft, which are also used for transporting wings and fuselage sections. It can hold three times the volume of a 747-400F freighter.
Design phase
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
bureau and Boeing Rocketdyne
Rocketdyne
Rocketdyne was a Rocket engine design and production company headquartered in Canoga Park, California, United States. The company was related to North American Aviation for most of its history. NAA merged with Rockwell International, which was then bought by Boeing in December, 1996...
with the swing tail designed in partnership with Gamesa Aeronáutica
Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica
Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica , is a manufacturing company principally involved in the fabrication of wind turbines and the construction of wind farms....
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Modifications were carried out in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
by Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation, a joint venture of Evergreen Group's EVA Air
EVA Air
EVA Airways Corporation "; ) is an airline based at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, operating passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. EVA Air is largely privately owned and flies a fully...
and General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, Boeing has acquired the four second-hand 747-400s; one former Air China
Air China
Air China is the flag carrier and one of the major airlines of the People's Republic of China. Based in Beijing Capital International Airport, Air China is the world's 10th largest airline by fleet size. The airline ranked behind its main competitors China Southern Airlines and China Eastern...
aircraft, two former China Airlines
China Airlines
China Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of Republic of China . Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation...
aircraft, and one former Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysian Airline System Berhad , DBA Malaysia Airlines , is the government-owned flag carrier of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz...
aircraft.
The first 747 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF) was rolled out of the hangar at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on August 17, 2006. It successfully completed its first test flight on September 9, 2006 from this airport.
The 747 LCF's unusual appearance has drawn comparisons to the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile
Wienermobile
A "Wienermobile" is an automobile shaped like a hot dog on a bun that is used to promote and advertise Oscar Mayer products. It was created in 1936 by Oscar's nephew, Carl G. Mayer, and variants are still used by Oscar Mayer today. In 2004, Oscar Mayer announced a contest whereby customers could...
and the Hughes H-4 Hercules
Hughes H-4 Hercules
The Hughes H-4 Hercules is a prototype heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company. The aircraft made its only flight on November 2, 1947 and the project was never advanced beyond the single example produced...
("Spruce Goose"). Due to its ungainly form, exacerbated by the fact that the need for immediate testing resulted in the first model remaining unpainted for some time, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president Scott Carson jokingly apologized to 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
designer Joe Sutter
Joe Sutter
Joseph F. "Joe" Sutter was an engineer for the Boeing Airplane Company and chief engineer for the development of the Boeing 747 under Malcolm T. Stamper.-Early life:...
that he was "sorry for what we did to your plane."
Operational history
Boeing Field
Boeing Field, officially King County International Airport , is a two-runway airport owned and run by King County, Washington, USA. In promotional literature, the airport is frequently referred to as KCIA, but this is not the airport identifier. The airport has some passenger service, but is mostly...
, Seattle to complete the flight test program. Swing-tail testing was done at the Boeing factory in Everett. The second airplane, N780BA, made its inaugural test flight on February 16, 2007. The third began modification in 2007. The first two LCFs entered service in 2007 to support the final assembly of the first 787 Dreamliners.
Delivery times for the 787's wings, built in Japan, will be reduced from around 30 days to just over eight hours with the 747 LCF. Evergreen International Airlines
Evergreen International Airlines
Evergreen International Airlines is a cargo airline based in McMinnville, Oregon, USA. It operates contract freight services, offering charters and scheduled flights, as well as wet lease services. It operates services for the U.S. military and the United States Postal Service, as well as ad hoc...
(unrelated to EVA Air or EGAT), a U.S. air freight operator based in McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
, operated the LCF fleet until August 2010. Then Atlas Air
Atlas Air
Atlas Air, Inc. is an American cargo airline based in Purchase, Harrison, New York. It operates scheduled freight flights on a wet lease basis for some of the world's leading airlines, flying to 101 cities in 46 countries. Its crew bases include: Miami International Airport, New York's John F...
, which was awarded a nine-year contract for the operation of the aircraft in March 2010, took over LCF operation. Evergreen has achieved a 93% on flight schedule performance with the LCF.
During flight testing in November 2006, a Cessna 172
Cessna 172
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
being used for a training flight encountered the 747 LCF's wake turbulence
Wake turbulence
Wake turbulence is turbulence that forms behind an aircraft as it passes through the air. This turbulence includes various components, the most important of which are wing vorticies and jetwash. Jetwash refers simply to the rapidly moving gases expelled from a jet engine; it is extremely turbulent,...
while on approach to Boeing Field. The small aircraft "rolled almost instantly to a 90-degree right bank and descended in a nearly straight nose-down attitude", according to the NTSB report, until the instructor pilot was able to regain control at just 150 feet (45.7 m) of altitude.
Into service
In June 2006, the first DBL-100 cargo loader used for loading 787 parts into the 747 LCF was completed. In December 2006, Boeing announced the 747 LCF would be named Dreamlifter, a reference to the 787's name, Dreamliner. It unveiled a standard livery for the aircraft that included a logo reminiscent of the 787's Dreamliner logo.Certification was initially planned for early 2007, but was pushed back to June 2007. The aircraft's winglets were removed to resolve excess vibration and other handling characteristics prior to final certification. In the meantime, as part of the flight test program, LCF delivered major sections of the 787 from partner sites around the world to the Boeing factory in Everett, WA
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
for final assembly. The 747 LCF was granted FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
type certification on June 2, 2007. From its first flight in 2006 until certification in 2007, the Dreamlifter completed 437 hours of flight testing along with 639 hours of ground testing.
Of the four 747 Dreamlifters Boeing planned to acquire, three were complete and operational by June 2008, and the fourth became operational in February 2010.
Specifications
The 747 LCF main cargo compartment has a volume of 65,000 cubic feet (1,840 cubic meters).| Model | 747 LCF | 747-400 |
|---|---|---|
| Cockpit crew | Two | |
| Length | 235 ft 2 in (71.68 m) | 231 ft 10 in (70.6 m) |
| Wingspan | 211 ft 5 in (64.4 m) | |
| Height | 70 ft 8 in (21.54 m) | 63 ft 8 in (19.4 m) |
| Fuselage width | 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) | 21 ft 4 in (6.50 m) |
| Spec Operating Empty Weight | 180530 kg (398,000.5 lb) | 179015 kg (394,660.5 lb) |
| Maximum take-off weight | 364235 kg (803,000.7 lb) | 396890 kg (874,992.7 lb) |
| Cruising speed | Mach Mach number Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure... 0.82 (474 kt, 878 km/h) |
Mach 0.85 (491 kt, 910 km/h) |
| Takeoff run at MTOW | 9,199 ft (2,804 m) | 9,902 ft (3,018 m) |
| Range fully loaded | 4200 nmi (4,833.3 mi; 7,778.4 km) | 7260 nmi (8,354.7 mi; 13,445.5 km) |
| Max. fuel capacity | 52609 U.S.gal | 57285 U.S.gal |
| Engine models (x 4) | PW 4062 Pratt & Whitney PW4000 |-See also:-External links:* * *... |
PW 4062 Pratt & Whitney PW4000 |-See also:-External links:* * *... GE CF6-80C2B5F General Electric CF6 The General Electric CF6 is a family of high-bypass turbofan engines produced by GE Aviation. A development of the first high-power high-bypass jet engine available, the TF39, the CF6 powers a wide variety of civilian airliners. The basic engine core formed the basis for the LM2500, LM5000, and... RR RB211-524G/H |
| Engine thrust (per engine) | 63300 lbf (281.6 kN) | PW 63300 lbf (281.6 kN) GE 62100 lbf (276.2 kN) RR 59500 lbf (264.7 kN) |
Sources: Boeing 747-400 specifications,Boeing 747 Airport Report, 747 LCF fact sheet