B747-200F

The Boeing 747-200F freighter is the all-cargo transport variant of the Boeing 747 family of aircraft. While using the updated systems and wing design of the passenger versions, it features the original short upper deck found on the classic 747s in order to save weight. Boeing has stated that there are about 300 747 freighters in operational service, carrying about half of the world’s freighter air cargo. The 747 family of freighters make up two thirds of the world’s wide-body freighter fleet.

The model’s first flight was on May 4, 1993, and it entered service with Cargolux on November 17, 1993. Major customers included Atlas Air, Cargolux, China Airlines, Korean Air, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Polar Air Cargo, and Singapore Airlines. The −747-200F can be easily distinguished from the passenger −747-200F by its shorter upper-deck hump and lack of windows along the main deck.

Specifications of the B747-200F

The 747-200F has a main deck nose door and a mechanized cargo handling system. The nose door swings up so that pallets or containers up to 40 ft (12 m) can be loaded straight in on motor-driven rollers. An optional main deck side cargo door (like the 747-200FM (Combi)) allows loading of dimensionally taller cargo modules. A lower deck (“belly”) side door allows loading of unit load devices (ULD) up to 163 cm in height. Boeing delivered 126 Boeing 747-200F aircraft with no unfilled orders as of November 2009. The last −400F was delivered to Nippon Cargo Airlines on August 2, 2008.

The 747-200F is equipped with a two-crew glass cockpit, which dispenses with the need for a flight engineer, along with more fuel-efficient engines, an optional fuel tank in the horizontal stabilizer, and revised fuselage/wing fairings. The aircraft also features an all-new interior with upgraded in-flight entertainment architecture.

The Boeing 747-200F is a cargo-carrying model of the iconic Boeing 747 – affectionately known as the “jumbo jet” – launched in the early 1970s. The “F” stands for “freight”, as the jet was specifically designed as a cargo plane with long-distance capabilities. The Boeing 747-200F is closely related to the Boeing 747-200B (for passengers), the 747-200C (convertible), and the 747-200M (combi).

CHARACTERISTICS of the 747-200F