Freight Loading Facilities on Transport Aircraft: A Review of the Various Methods that have been Developed

Abstract

ONE of the many features that need careful consideration during the initial design stages of a modern cargo carrying aircraft is the adequate provision of suitable loading facilities. A commercial aircraft is only producing revenue when it is in the air carrying cargo and it is therefore essential that the greatest number of flying hours possible be achieved. Speed is one of the main factors in reducing costs to an airline operator, because it enables him to spread his fixed operating costs over a greater number of miles per hour. The efficiency of a freighter in the air, however, can be nullified by its ‘performance’ on the ground, for a 30 m.p.h. increase in cruising speed, for example, might well be outweighed by delays in loading and unloading the aircraft at its stopping places.

Citation

Allward, M.F. (1947), "Freight Loading Facilities on Transport Aircraft: A Review of the Various Methods that have been Developed", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 19 No. 9, pp. 301-304. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb031552