A330 Next Generation Freighter (NGF)

The A330 NGF programme is a joint venture between LCF Conversions and ACE Corporation of the USA. The concept development of the A330 NGF is currently underway, this programme will provide main deck freight lift capability on A330-300 and A330-200 aircraft.

The A330 NGF is the freighter platform of the medium widebody freighter market for the next 30+ years

The lowest cost medium wide-body freighter conversion on the market with up to 60 tonnes+ structural payload and ~19,000 ft³ payload volume (538 m³). 30% more volume than the B767-300 freighter.

The Airbus A330 accommodates 96” SBS ULDs and offers:

A cross-section 24" (61 cms) wider than a B767F.
15% more pallet positions than a B767 freighter and no restricted ULD cargo accommodation in the lower holds.

Market Demand:

The A330 will in time be the freighter platform of choice for medium widebody freighter operations. The A300-600 (170+ in operation today), the MD-11F (115+ in operation today) and the B767 (235+ in operation today) account for half the entire widebody freighter fleet of over 1,000+ widebody freighters in operation today. All these freighters face the prospect of limited (in the case of the B767) or no more (in the case of the MD-11 and A300-600) passenger feedstock for conversion.

With an optimum fuselage diameter of 5.64m the A300 series platform has proven to have an excellent freighter profile as demonstrated in the A300B4-200 and the A300-600 freighters, where some 250 new build and conversions have been commissioned to date. The A330 takes development of the B4 and A300-600 freighter platforms a step further with the fuselage extended by up to 9.6 m and a superior range capability.

The NGF Conversion Programme:

The NGF Conversion for the A330 fleet is a unique main deck freighter conversion solution that addresses the design and certification challenges associated with the A330 fleet. It is an innovative solution that will be more efficient than conventional freighter conversion solutions; it will be functional, cost effective and most importantly, it offers significant economies of scale with a one-size-fits-all solution covering all the A330 variants.

The conversion can be installed on any weight variant and no software upgrades are required. The conversion includes:

Removal of all un-necessary items from Pax operations. 'Deep Strip' of structures, systems and materials not required in the NGF configuration.
Installation of a "Plug Safe" Main Deck Cargo Door: The NGF MDCD offers optimised dimensions (100 H x 140" W) to save on MDCD structure weight, reduced maintenance and improved safety.
Modification of the Main Deck floor structure.
Installation of a Main Deck Cargo Loading System (CLS).
Installation of a full-length main cabin liner on the fuselage walls.
Installation of new systems (e.g. smoke detection), structure (e.g. 9G barrier) accommodation (e.g. new courier area) appropriate for any all-cargo aircraft operations.

The NGF is designed to improve safety as a result of a simpler door concept with associated weight saving and reduced maintenance costs.

Main Deck Freight Accommodation:

The A330-300 NGF offers 30% more volumetric capacity than the 767ERF in a significantly more cargo optimised configuration than the 767's permitting more efficient use of standardised industry containers built around a 96" wide base plate.

NGF A330-300: Main Deck Cargo Layout - 26 96"x125" ULDs

NGF A330-200: Main Deck Cargo Layout - 22 96"x125" ULDs

The Main Deck NGF Cargo Door - "Plug Safe" Cargo Door:

Common engineering solution for entire A330/A340 family (Patent pending door design).
Next generation cargo door design to maximize utility of the existing airplane architecture.