BA 757's
 

Does anyone know the referred to operator?

From Flight Int'l - "BA has already laid plans to sell the 757 fleet to another operator for cargo conversion".

And who is the converter?

DHL Is a good contender.

We're shopping for 80 of them (FDX)....

Hi Huck,

you might know which engine FEDEX has choosen. Are your 757 P&W or R&R driven?

Hence, BA's are R&R, that could rule them out for you? However, with 75 units planned to purchase FDX might not care about two different types of engine in their fleet.

Cheers!

I have seen FDX 757s with rollers...

FedEx already operates some 757's with RR engines. They are going to operate them with both RR & PW engines. The MD-11 and A310/300-600 fleets already operate with both GE & PW engines so I don't think a common engine type is important to them.

I presume these are all E4s not Cs.
Ideal is to convert then to a 15 pallet configuration similiar to that carried out at Precision conversions.
regds
MEL.

DHL already has all their C engined 757s. Only E4s left. No indications from within DHL that they might take them. Shame.:{

If not mistaken DHL Mx personell are getting trained for their acquisation of B767s.
regds
MEL.

What are the differences between a RR "C" and a RR "E4" engine. Is one variant preferred over the other for cargo ops??

TIA, BD

C is just an older (launching) version of the RB211 535. Less power than the E4. If you want to have more than 108 to MTOM it is only possible with the (more powerful) E4 version.

The C version was the only version available for the 757 when she came on the market in 1983. BA was a launching costumer and (for what reason) kept the C version for the first 40 odd airplanes, although the E4 engine was available from 1984 onwards. Most costumers decided to go for the E4. E4 was developed by RR after the P&W engine for the 757 was considered to be more fuel efficent. Well, E4 is not as fuel efficent but is considered to be more reliable and less noisy; hence, almost every costumer took E4 engines.

To my knowledge only around 40 757 carry the C engines. Almost all of them are now with DHL. Allegedly E4 engine are less stinky (prone to oil fume/smoke).

No, no difference from a conversion point of view. Can be done with both C and E4s. But E4s can normally be heavier. So if you need the range one should be better off with an E4 allowing 117to take off mass. However, there shouldn't be any C left there are not yet converted to freighters.

The RB211 535 C or E4 or P&W make very little difference in terms of operating as a pilot.

Having operated the 757 with all three versions the only consideration is the fumes - the RB211 535 C engines release noxious fumes into the air conditioning system which (allegedly) are carcinogenic and are therefore left best to freight operations where only two people are affected.

MD :=

Thanks to you both for the info.

As for the fumes issue. I thought I read on this board sometime ago that the fix for that issue was not to top off the oil or something to that effect?

BD

So far all FedEx 757 are fiited with the RR E4 according to this site- The Boeing 757 website - FedEx
Also the 2 latest purchases are sitting in EINN awaiting ferrying to ST Aero in MAE they are ex Thomson Airways G-BYAK & G-BYAS, I was talking to one of the aircraft conversion team from MEM who was over doing some prep work on site in the Air Atlanta hangar EINN.

Thanks to you both for the info.

As for the fumes issue. I thought I read on this board sometime ago that the fix for that issue was not to top off the oil or something to that effect?

BD

true.
The solution is to keep the oil qty at a lower level.
regds
MEL.

Thanks Hawk

BD

Keeping oil at lower levels does seems to have REDUCED the instances of fumes, but is by no means a fix...