Originally Posted by
WearyEyed
According to Wikipedia, the 757-200F can haul a 72,210 lb (32,755 kg) payload over 2,935 nmi (5,435 km). Passenger 757-200s have been modified for cargo use as the Special Freighter (SF) and the Precision Converted Freighter (PCF).
Several websites list the A321 P2F as having a max payload of 27 tonnes or roughly 59,525 lb. Wikipedia says, “Over 30 years since launch, the A321 Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) grew by 20% from the 83t -100 until the 101t A321XLR.”
Most rumors and discussions boards are saying that a factory built A321F would be based on the A321XLR with the higher MTOW, but instead of a 4700 nm range that they’d lower the fuel capacity to increase the max payload.
The 757-200 is 155’ long and the A321XLR is 146’ long. Based on this info any A321 freighter will have less bulk capacity and less payload capacity compared to the 757. The stats are similar, but the 757 is still a better freighter, IMO.
So what do they replace the 757 with eventually?
Originally Posted by
TonyC
We don't carry weight, we carry volume. That's the folly of comparing fuel efficiencies based on pounds of freight. The only important comparison is what ULDs (cans) will fit, and the total volume of those ULDs.
It was obviously argued at some point and at some level that the B-767 is more fuel efficient per pound of freight than the MD-10 or MD-11, and it is also obvious that the smaller tube requiring smaller ULDs holding ~25% less volume was overlooked. The ultimate comparison becomes the cost of 2 crew and 3 engines of one MD-11 to the cost of 4 crew and 4 engines of the B-767 followed by the B-757 to clean up the volume left behind.
The only obvious replacement for the MD-11F is the B-777F.
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That is so 1990s thinking. Now fuel efficiency is measured in CO2 emissions.
FedEx has stated they want to be carbon neutral by 2040 or something. I don’t know if that means that MD will be replaced by A350s. But we do know that the current factory B777F will no longer meet ICAO emissions standards by 2028. So unless they re-engine it or come up with the 777XF (which may not be an ideal replacement candidate either), the current model will not continue to be built past 2027, right around the time to start replacing the MD. The other rumor is of Boeing making a re-engined 764F. Don’t know if that would be a viable replacement for the MD as there isn’t much information on the speculative specs of that aircraft other than for the passenger version, which is about 20 feet longer than the 767F.