Now that Embraer has officially launched its passenger-to-freighter program for the E190 and E195 for entry into service in 2024, we take a closer look. How do converted E-jets of the first generation fit into the freighter market and fair against the likes of the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320? Where do the Embraer E190F and E195F fit in? First, let's look at the market Embraer is projecting. At the Dubai Airshow in November, it said that the market potential for E-jet-sized aircraft would be some 700 aircraft until 2040. It sees an opportunity for some 250 aircraft as direct replacements of types like the Boeing 737-300SF within the next twenty years, plus another 450 for growth if e-commerce continues to soar. The market Embraer says the market is particularly suited for E-jets of between ten and fifteen years old. The airframer identifies 380 E190s and 90 E195s that could be converted to extend their economic life by at least another ten to fifteen years. And giving operators a better return, with 25 percent lower trip costs over a 737-300SF and 20-25 percent lower costs per volume compared to turboprops. The converted E-jets would be ideally suited for flights between 600-1.400 nautical miles, or 1.100-2.600 kilometers, although Embraer provides a 2.300nm/4.260km range for the E190 and 2.100nm/3.890km for the E195. Graphic showing the cargo capacity of the Embraer E190F and E195F. (Embraer) But what about volume and capacity? The volume of the E190F is listed as 3.632 cubic feet/102 cubic meters. That offers space for six ULD pallets sized 96x125x73 inch, one pallet/container-sized 96x60.4x73 inch at the front, and one standard LD3 container at the very end of the cabin. The volume of the longer E195F is 4.171 cubic feet/118 cubic meters, offering space for a seventh 96x125x73 inches pallets/containers. The maximum payload is 23.000 pounds/10.700 kilograms for the E190F and 27.100 pounds/12.300 for the E195F. The Boeing 737 Classic and NG The Boeing 737-300SF that Embraer is referring to and of which AirInsight identifies a worldwide fleet of just 50-55 aircraft, comes with the main deck volume of 3.520 cubic feet/99.7 cubic meters, with space for eight containers sized 88x125 inches. So that’s less volume but more containers compared to the E195. The -300SF has a range of 1.641nm/3.040km. The structural maximum payload is 43.500 pounds or 19.731 kilograms. Then there is the 737-400SF, which comes with a volume of 4.979 cubic feet/141 cubic meters, space for up to eleven pallets/containers on the main deck, and a maximum payload capacity of twenty tons. With the -300 and -400 likely to have less than ten years of life in them until phasing out, it’s the Boeing 737-700 that comes the closest to the converted E-jets. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has done P2F conversions with the -700BDSF. The main deck cargo volume is listed as 3.816 cubic feet/108 cubic meters and a maximum payload capacity of 41.500 pounds/18.824 kilograms, depending on the aircraft configuration. The range is 3.865nm/7.158km. The more popular -800BDSF or -800BCF is bigger, offering a main deck volume of 4.993 cubic feet/141.4 cubic meters and a maximum payload of 53.000 pounds/24.040 kilograms. There is space here for eleven ULD pallets of 88x125 inches, plus a 60.5x61.5inch pallet at the back. The range is 1.998nm/3.700km. The Airbus A320P2F Finally, we look at the Airbus A320P2F which has yet to be certified. Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) gives total usable cargo volume as 5.603 cubic feet/159 cubic meters, but this includes both main and lower deck capacity. The upper deck has space for ten pallets of 88x125 inches plus one with a slightly lower height. The maximum payload is 50.706 pounds/23.000 kilograms. This gives the type a range of 1.800nm/3.333km. Look inside the Airbus A321P2F of Qantas. (Airbus) Outside the scope of the E-jets is the A321P2F, which has a volume (main plus belly-hold) of 7.438 cubic feet/208 cubic meters with a capacity of fourteen containers on the main deck. The maximum payload is 59.525 pounds/27.000 kilograms. At the lower end of the spectrum is the ATR 72-600F, which comes with a gross volume of 75 cubic meters or space for eight pallets of 88x108inch or seven LD3 containers. The maximum payload is nine tons, the range 900nm/1.666km. The ATR 72-600F covers the lower end of the freighter market. (ATR) The verdict Indeed, the Embraer E190F and E195F fit in nicely in between the ATR turboprop and Boeing 737 Classic converted freighters, but their siblings of the 737NG range and the Airbus A320P2F are in a higher league. That should be no problem as Embraer forecasts a sizable market for its E-jets-sized segment that offers express companies new opportunities. For the E1-family, P2F conversions open up options to extend the lives for aircraft that otherwise would be phased out, likely to result in a higher residual value and making the types more attractive for investors.
