“not designed to be from the start a cargo hauler the way the 747 was”
Why is the A380 difficult to convert to a cargo plane?
Acess no big doors
747 can open from front and back for cargo. A380 cant.
I would guess structural loading of the decks and the assumptions made about fuel consumption.
I would guess structural loading of the decks and the assumptions made about fuel consumption.
I didn’t mean to post that twice...
If you look at a 747 its one big cargo hold front to back with and elevated flight deck and small passenger space ..that elevated upper deck .. you can just hinge the nose up and have full load access.. it is a cargo plane layout from the get go
The A380 with its double deck design with that floor right down the middle of what would be the cargo hold you’ve got no space for large cargo and no way to hinge up the nose to acess
During the 747's design phase, Boeing hedged its bets on its passenger potential, put the cockpit up on top [in the famous bulge], and hinged the nose on freight versions to allow front-loading.
The double deck A380 does not have that flexibility.
“Why is the A380 difficult to convert to a cargo plane?”
Here is a somewhat lengthy video of a 747 that was converted to a cargo plane and then converted to a fire fighting plane. Cool stuff...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-pC7XYHV7s