IIRC no. Cargo 747s load from the front or sometimes a side door. That doesn't DQ ramps but the plane is also very tall, making ramp design tricky, especially if you are going to load anything really heavy and/or long. Cargo 747s were looked at back in the day and I believe the consensus was that you were better off bringing in a C-5's worth of special load/unload equipment to support regular cargo 747s than you were trying to play with built in ramps etc.
This was especially true because you were only going to land a 747 at a serious airport, where cargo handling equipment might already be available; no one is going to fly a cargo 747 in to a dirt strip in the middle of nowhere.
and i'm not talking about making it a tactical airlifter but a real strategic asset. i think the Air Force is making a mistake by confusing the two terms...well maybe not confusing them but insisting that they have tactical capability in all its cargo planes. lets face it. where the Air Force is falling short is in both areas. why. because their tactical airlifters are overbuilt for strategic airlift and their strategic airlifters can't handle dirt runways. why not build a specialized airfield to modern airfield airlifter (like the 747) and actually use the C-130 for the dirty small field stuff.
Dear God, please forgive me for what I am about to do.
Here is a report put together with the APA which outlines the benefits and methods of converting and using 747s in the tanker/heavy lift role. It includes an on-board RO-RO ramp.
I think what you're talking about is the intent of the USAF's CRAF program (Civil Reserve Air Fleet). There's a decent description of it here: http://www.airlines.org/Pages/Civil-Reserve-Air-Fleet-(CRAF).aspx
IIRC no. Cargo 747s load from the front or sometimes a side door. That doesn't DQ ramps but the plane is also very tall, making ramp design tricky, especially if you are going to load anything really heavy and/or long. Cargo 747s were looked at back in the day and I believe the consensus was that you were better off bringing in a C-5's worth of special load/unload equipment to support regular cargo 747s than you were trying to play with built in ramps etc.
ReplyDeleteThis was especially true because you were only going to land a 747 at a serious airport, where cargo handling equipment might already be available; no one is going to fly a cargo 747 in to a dirt strip in the middle of nowhere.
i did say modded to have a ramp.
ReplyDeleteand i'm not talking about making it a tactical airlifter but a real strategic asset. i think the Air Force is making a mistake by confusing the two terms...well maybe not confusing them but insisting that they have tactical capability in all its cargo planes. lets face it. where the Air Force is falling short is in both areas. why. because their tactical airlifters are overbuilt for strategic airlift and their strategic airlifters can't handle dirt runways. why not build a specialized airfield to modern airfield airlifter (like the 747) and actually use the C-130 for the dirty small field stuff.
Dear God, please forgive me for what I am about to do.
ReplyDeleteHere is a report put together with the APA which outlines the benefits and methods of converting and using 747s in the tanker/heavy lift role. It includes an on-board RO-RO ramp.
I think what you're talking about is the intent of the USAF's CRAF program (Civil Reserve Air Fleet). There's a decent description of it here: http://www.airlines.org/Pages/Civil-Reserve-Air-Fleet-(CRAF).aspx
ReplyDelete