Best Aircraft for the Job ???

[RefugePilot]

I think you don't know what you're talking about.

I did not mean to pick on the metro, but I think a lot of AMF success is a result of owning a large percentage of the ones still flying, years of experience, and economy of scale. I was also just using the metro as an example.

Unless you he gets a plane large enough to carry 9000 lbs 630nm one way, or two airplanes he is trying to get a single freight plane to travel 10,000nm or more a week. I think any tired old freighter might have trouble doing that reliably.

 

[citabriapilot]

Refuge... How is the photo studio coming along? Still waitin' for my 2 ft X 5 ft copy of that metro sunrise!

 

[RefugePilot]

Refuge... How is the photo studio coming along? Still waitin' for my 2 ft X 5 ft copy of that metro sunrise!

Thanks Citabria,
for lighting a flame under me. Looked on Craigslist today and found an appropriate monitor. Will have it calibrated and will check out a lab to see if I can get a decent print out of it. Will get back to you with results.

 

[unwashed]

plenty of DHC-8-100's for sale and the can do the job in one load and have gas for an alternate. I believe with the STC to move the bulk head forward you can put 4400 lbs of cargo and 19 people. Get rid of the people and 8 or 9 thousand lbs should be easy. The 100 will cruise at 260 to 265 KTAS burning 1400 lbs and hour.

 

[AV8N4Fun]

Hey there. Sorry I have been away for awhile. Thanks for all the great input. I like a couple of the different aircraft suggested. I'm still needing to get down to where I can relate an operating cost to a pound of cargo if at all possible. To start this I feel I need to go for just the one aircraft operation, but w/ the game plan to add additional aircraft as needed. My first thoughts were directed towards an aircraft that would have to make the run at least twice per day... single pilot ops(if possible) ... reserve pilot ... decent time off , etc., etc. . My thoughts now are slanted more towards one of the aircraft that could haul all or most all of their current load in one flight per day. As I could pick up additional business, then add additional crews and runs. So... aircraft like the Shorts, Dash 8, B1900, maybe the ATR. But, ...Cost?? Thanks, AV8N4Fun

 

[Birddog]

Figure a Shorts will burn about 900 to 1000 lbs an hour, depending on the version. TAS will be about 175 for a 330, and about 180 to 200 for a 360. Total useful load varies from about 7500 to about 10000 lbs, again, depending on the version. Max fuel is 3800 lbs. I have heard that decent ones with some time left on the engines and airframe go for about 700K up to about a million. I have no idea what parts availibility is like.

 

[Jeff Helgeson]

For pallets....

SD3-60

DC9-10/15

DHC-8 might also fit the bill. Better payload and a little faster than the SD3, but will the pallets fit well?

All 3 planes handle icing well.

 

[LowlyPropCapt]

For hard numbers, try Business and Commercial Aviation Magazine. They used to (probably still do) put out a yearly competitive analysis of all the numbers you could ever possibly need.

Years ago, I helped a company research the purchase of a new cargo bird. The B&CA comparitive summary had "spreadsheet ready" numbers that went a long way toward helping me compare various aircraft.

 

[Denizen]

How much $$ is it going to cost to add a new aircraft to your current certificate? I imagine that it is a considerable cost.

 

[ERJFO]

You are much better off chartering someone else to do this for you... It's an economies of scale thing. Someone flying 30 of the airplanes can fly 1 more for you, for alot less than you can fly 1 for you... Make sense?