I love operating freighter airlines and there’s a very limited selection of aircraft available. Considering the market is full of older aircraft it would be great to have them included to a degree. But there is a 737-800 freighter that is current and not included which would be great to have. I don’t want to use Russian aircraft for my line with the long build times.
It is a converted freighter. Which is why it is not available in AS.
Why does that matter the -800 is still there and Boeing can convert them to cargo variants. We need more aircraft choices that seems like a pretty simple one with all the facts and figures needed.
1 Like
Because it is a converted freighter, it wouldn’t be available new; only used in theory. Perhaps the upcoming modification add-on that was discussed may make this possible.
That’s right. It’s not available right now, because it’s a model that only exists as a conversion of used aircraft.
Doing that in the game and getting access to more aircraft like that is the goal of the feature coming later this year
1 Like
You’re saying you can’t call bowing and say you want a 737-800c variant and they’d tell you no? Cargo is really lacking options
2 Likes
Theoretically, they’d built anything for you as long as it’s feasible and would yield a save profit.
Practically, this wont happen.
Factory fresh built freighters like a 738 - contrary to airframes like 77F or 74F - are cost prohibitive as you’d never recoup your expenses, given their operational profiles with lot’s of time on ground.
Hence the only real business way is via converted, used airframes. But even there the window where it actually makes sense is pretty small:
Demand for such converted freighters is huge, yes. But realistically, donor airframes either come to expensive or are too worn out. That’s why projects like the 320P2F have been postponed on and on.
AS is different of course - but here the question as usual is: how much realism is realistic for this game?
I understand but then again we are talking about a game world where most airlines use new aircraft meanwhile cargo companies don’t always and the vast bulk of cargo aircraft are old.
1 Like
Talking about reality and not a game world.
So how is the 737-700C any different from the 800 again? There’s literally more orders for the 800CF directly to Boeing than the 700C. The 700C has like 5 or something. There isn’t a dedicated 737-700C production line anywhere its all special order. The launch customer was the Air Force even.
1 Like
The -700C is a convertible, not a converted freighter. And as you said, built upon a gov. request (USN) for a special mission aircraft. It’s an -800’s wing structure with a -700 fuselage plus an SCD and the option of further aux tanks (without SCD, you’d call it a -700ER)
It’s heavy and expensive. You’d never see anyone operating it as a dedicated freighter.
The -700F/-800F are totally different animals.
I understand. My point is you can pick up the phone and order the 737-800F right now from Boeing. Where the airframe comes from is inconsequential to the fact that Boeing takes orders for them.
The 700c is basically a BBJ and where that design came from. They basically added a cargo door. They are both a special order aircraft whether it’s a retro or not and they are both directly ordered from Boeing. It’s not a STC where someone takes an 800 they already own to some random MX facility
1 Like
That would be news to me. The BCF is no much different to other offers. You order a conversion slot and supply the aircraft.
Of course you could order a 738 new and give it into conversion straight away, but that’s not going to happen for said reasons.
Consequently I understand why we don’t have it in AS.
After all, what would Boeing say if you come along and order 100 757s for big dollars?
Like I said, how much realism is realistic for AS?