Article on Freight Industry targets new generation aircraft
From Asia Pacific Aviation Business Magazine
Airbus A380F Vs B747-8F
The A380F will enter service in the third quarter of 2008 and the B747-8F the following year.
Airbus believes that Boeing based the new generation 747-8 on a 30 year old airframe design and while the European company does not feel an "old" aircraft (the Intercontinental) can threaten the A380 airliner, conversions of older aircraft account for a substantial proportion of the aircraft entering service as freighters, and the challenge that the B747-8F poses to the A380F concerns the company. Still Airbus does not forsee changes to the A380F in response to the B747-8F.
Physical dimensions roughly compare, the 747-8F being slightly longer than the A380-800F (75.3m v 72.7m); but the A380 features a greater wingspan (79.8m v 68.5m) and height (24.1m v 19.4m).
The A380F carries a bigger payload than the 747-8F (153t v 140t) but MTOW are 590t and 436t respectively, making the 747-8F structurally more efficient.
Boeing gives the 747-8F empty weight at 86t less than the A380F, and says this would allow 25% lower fuel burn per ton, and therefore 20% lower trip costs and 23% lower ton mile costs than the A380F.
The A380F boasts significantly greater payload volume and range.
The list prices range from $265-275m for the 747-8F to $272-292m for the A380F.
The A380F will accomodate only 2.4m high pallets (like other freighters), but Airbus counters that this would suffice for most pallets.
Also, although the A380F uses a wider main deck cargo door (4.27m wide) than the 747-8F (3.4m), it does not feature a nose door. Further, it requires a special high loader to reach the upper deck (at 8 metres above the ground), the company encouraging equipment manufacturers to develop a portable mechanism, to be carried in the aircraft's belly, to allow existing loaders to reach the upper deck.
Airbus estimates the the A380f can be turned around in 91 minutes, the same time required for 747 conversions, but 10 minutes more than nose door equiped 747-400F's.