With the freighter, yes the typical mission duration might be 7-8 hours, but remember that is artificially low due to the (in the case of the trans-pac) refuelling stops in Anchorage. If the a/c had the capability to carry the fuel, you'd see longer average sectors. In a perfect world the aircraft could take MZFW, w/ full tanks, but as we know that doesn't happen. You can have the ZFW, or the fuel, but not both. In the freighter version, operators place a higher priority in lifting the weight, and accept tech stops. You could (in theory) install a stab tank on a freighter, but it would only make sense if you know your typical loads were going to bulk out. BTW, fuel starts to go into the stab on a pax a/c at approx 130T of fuel. Broad strokes, 10-12T / hr, so sectors around 11.5-12+ hours you start seeing stab fuel loaded. Above 150T of fuel, you start restricting ZFW.
Last edited by dartman748; 3rd Jun 2014 at 15:51.