Why would you compare a 777F with a 747 conversion? Why not compare it with a 747F?
I'm not so sure that the 777F does all that is claimed for it, now that Thai cancelled their 777F contract with Southern Air...
Cause it makes no more sense than comparing it with the MD11. As for Thai and their relationship with Southern and the B777, I have no idea why Thai pulled out. I know why Air France tried to ditch theirs, and that was poor homework. What I do know is that FedEx cannot get enough of them, and that the experience AeroLogic has had with theirs was, at least partly, the reason why LH Cargo went and bought a few. I also know that the aircraft actually does more than the original brochure numbers, which is quite a surprise indeed. Later iterations have seen further improvements, and it is not unlikely we will see 108 tons payload in the future.
Also, the new -8 74 burns LESS fuel (over 400 gallons less per hour) than the 777 and carries a significantly larger payload. Not to mention that e-tops does not come into play, and if you loose an engine you sill have 3 over the middle of the pond! If I am going across the Pacific or the Atlantic I want 4 engines thank you very much!!
Not sure I buy the bit about the dash 8 burning less than the B777F, would be delighted to be proved wrong if you can post numbers from a reliable source. As for ETOPS, that is quickly becoming irrelevant since all aircraft will have to comply with EROPS requirements. Do agree on the last bit though, but would consider 6 engines if given the choice
