Which widebody wins the race for the next-generation cargo crown?
The new widebody freighters that the two major aircraft manufacturers will be introducing over the coming years should be interesting. Airbus said that the A350 cargo program would begin in the summer of 2021. (A350F).
Boeing reacted by announcing the start of a 777X cargo program by the end of January 2022, perhaps after having been working on the concept for a few months.
The market has been and will remain competitive since freighters have lower customer demand than their passenger equivalents. What is the superior next-generation widebody freighter? In this essay, let’s attempt to provide a response.
contrasting technical details
Let’s start with the fundamentals and contrast the technical details of each airplanes. There appear to be fewer variables to take into account when passenger capacities and passenger-based features are absent. Key metrics are listed in the table below:
A350F by Airbus
777-8F Boeing
232 feet four inches in length (70.8 m)
232ft 6in (70.9 m) (70.9 m)
Wingspan of 212.5 inches (64.75 m)
235ft 7in (71.8 m) (71.8 m) (extended/unfolded entirely)
4.19m (165in) x 3.71m Main Cargo Door Dimensions (146.5in)
3.72m (146.5in) x 3.15m (124in)
319 tonnes for MTOW
Undisclosed
loads carried 109 tonnes
128.1 tons
Capacity
30 pallets on the main deck, 12 in the lower hold
13 in the lower hold and 31 on the main deck
Range (at max payload) (at max payload)
4,700nm (8,700 km) (8,700 km)
4,410nm (8,167 km) (8,167 km)
Powerplants
The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB
Standard Electric Engine Thrust for GE9X
99.7 lb. 110,000 lb.
EIS 2025–2027 target
These figures demonstrate how similar in size the airplanes are. The 777X freighter is based on the 777-8, which has not yet entered service, whereas the A350F is based on the A350-1000 platform. Boeing’s total payload is almost 10 tonnes greater than what the A350F can offer, according to data provided by each manufacturer. Additionally, Key.Aero points out that the 777X freighter will be able to carry two more pallets than the A350F. While Airbus’s rival can fly roughly 300 nautical miles longer and be available two years earlier, Boeing’s aircraft can carry a larger payload (if manufacturers somehow keep to their timeline projections).
