ERJs Converted into Freighters

[Superpilot92]

How many of you think this will happen? It seems like you could take some of the erjs after the airlines are done with them and turn them into cargo planes and be feeders for fedex or ups. Just food for though i am just curious if this might happen in the future.

 

[whereamI]

I doubt the ERJ fuselage will last long enough for this to happen. The jungle jet is aluminum can thin. This is just my personal speculation...

 

[freighterguy]

aren't all airplanes made of aluminum?

lets see:

the BE/C-99 (believe it or not) used to be regional feeder...

the SA-227 used to be a regional feeder...

the EMB-120 used to be a regional feeder...

i would think, perhaps not in my years, that the RJ's stand a good chance at joining the freighter ranks.

FG

 

[jafo20]

WheramI wasn't saying the ERJ won't last because it's aluminum, he's saying it's cheaply built. I've never really looked at the construction of an ERJ, so perhaps they'll last, perhaps they won't. Time will tell.

 

[Capt. JD]

Emb-110

EMB-110 also use to be used at the regionals it a cargo bird now...

 

[jafo20]

If you really want to look back, 400 series Cessnas, Shorts, and lots of other ships were once used in some kind of airline.

 

[Superpilot92]

Metros, ATR, BEECH 1900, there are quite a few airplanes that have made the leap over. Who knows it was just a thought. I think it could happen. It would have something like 10000 to 15000 lbs payload if it was converted i dont know what a typical cargo plane carries. Someone throw out some typical payload #s for light cargo plane.

 

[propsarebest]

The problem with the ERJ's though is that the fuselage diameter is too small to take a standard container. I really doubt that a cargo company is gonna pay for all the STC's, the conversion, big door, etc. just to bulk load it.

 

[cargoflyr69]

Playing Devil's advocate here, but isn't the ERJ fuselage the same diameter as the E-120, just stretched out? seems like a plausible but maybe not practical idea to me. I suppose it all depends on the cost of operation as the airframe ages further. With fuel prices being high and likely continuing to be that way, lift in larger turbo-props like the e-120, saab 340, and ATR's (see fedex) may be in the near-er future.

 

[freighterguy]

passenger airline pilot union scope usually forbid airplanes that carry in excess of a certain # of pax.

same scope issues at a cargo operator, however, the scope will usually forbid the company using an operator/aircraft that can contain a ULD, igloo, whatever you want to call it.

brown used to load the E-120 through the rear cargo door, box by box. took'em 2-3 hours a day to load the entire cargo hold. also, if your haulin' freight under 135 rules, your limited to 7500lbs.

FG

 

[flagshipper]

fedex scope does not allow feeders to fly any jets whatsoever but i was thinking about that the other day. every former regional plane has ended up flying cargo

 

[ACT700]

I don't know about scheduled feeder freight in a RJ, but I could see it making it-eventually-in the non-sched world.

I mean, one day you'll need to replace the Falcon 20s. And there already are a few ad-hoc carriers that have both, a 135 side, as well as a 121 side.

So adding a RJ wouldn't be a problem.

Just my $0.02.

 

[DirtyBeech]

i don't see why it wouldn't happen one day, especially for the crj models which seem to have a larger cabin volume.

max weights:

metro light 3300-4300/ heavy 4500
1900C 6000
E120 8000 (7500 part 135)

brown still loads the E120 box by box through the aft cargo door and it takes about 30-40 minutes max.

what does an erj burn per hour? if comparable to an E120 it won't save much fuel based on time savings. our e120's (and metros for that matter) don't take a helluva lot more time to get to major west texas hubs than a 737 or erj.

 

[falcon20driver]

The Falcons will be around for a long time, a couple 20-5s with EFIS and FMS have just been converted from passenger to cargo this year.

With the 737-300 Super Freighter available I don't know why anyone would waste time with a regional jet.

 

[spitfire1500]

With the ERJ I just dont see it. The thing can't carry any weight. I am always weight restricted in the damn thing.

 

[ASH]

Weight restricted??!!


9.5k pounds of petrol
50 peep
2000 lbs of cargo...still good to go.
What can't you do?

 

[Buckeye]

I don't think the ERJ has the floor loading strength and it uses way to much runway. We can operate a Falcon all the way down to 4000' and some change. I beleive it can takeoff @ 15C and requires somewhere around 6000 feet and some change. The ERJ can't do that, and we can operate our DC-9's all the way down to 5000' runways.

 

[T-REX]

You can probably get 30 Saabs 340As for the price of one ERJ. The extra speed just doesnt matter that much for the overnight freight biz (thats why the 208s gear doesnt go up).
I always thought the CL-600 fuselage would make a good freighter when the price comes down.

 

[Superpilot92]

Weight restricted yes. But thats with 45-50 people plus cargo and fuel. Take the seats, people, lav, and galley out that gets rid of alot of weight for cargo dont you think. Plus its usually the ER that is restricted the most the LRs do pretty well. I think its possible. I mean look how many of them there are flying now and the airlines are going to have them forever so someone will fly them or they will get parked. who knows it was just a thought.

 

[bombinha]

If you wanna talk about cheap airplanes the CRJ are masters breaking in every stop while ERJ's rules with normal mx.
We operate both and all mechanics regret to be displaced from charlote to nashville because of a lot more work with CRJ's
don't let the appearance of a narrow fuselage make up your mind as our company also made a 4.7 g's landing on a ERJ and didn't break it while the DC9 was tested with 3g and the back separated from the rest of the fuselage.
Also the ERJ was certified to fly all over the planet including Russia the crj certification came later.
Plus ERJ's are a lot more pilot friendly with much, much more features.
And yes I flew both.
CRJ is a POS