The fundamental difference between cargo aircraft and passenger aircraft is, of course, that they are transporting, and they are specifically equipped to fulfill their purpose. While passenger aircraft are predominantly flown by travelers with a minimal amount of luggage stored in the baggage compartment, cargo aircraft are fully equipped to transport cargo.

There are no passenger seats in a cargo ship. Instead, there is an empty galley that can be manipulated to carry different types of cargo and increase the payload. Typically, the cabin floor will be equipped with rollers and latches to hold boxes.

Moreover, there will be no windows, and instead of emergency exits, there are large loading doors to fill the aircraft with goods. A variant of this design is that the nose of the aircraft can be raised to store goods.

It is worth noting that the designs of cargo airliners differ. Some aircraft use multiple wheels to maximize weight distribution across the aircraft, such as the now extinct (or at least incredibly expensive to restore) 32-wheeled An-225 juggernaut. Some cargo aircraft have wings located at the top of the fuselage to load cargo from below. Others do the opposite.

Converting a passenger aircraft into a cargo plane
However, while cargo and passenger aircraft are different, there are some similarities. This is the reason why many former passenger aircraft can be converted into cargo variants with relatively few changes. Airlines and often lessors may decide to extend the life of their aircraft by converting them into cargo ships. This is a cost-effective alternative to buying a new cargo plane, and although it needs to be assembled first, it is still a cheaper alternative.

To do this, the fuselage of a passenger aircraft must be adapted to the cargo specification. The windows of the aircraft are often closed to create a seamless metal body.

The interior cabin elements will then be removed to prepare for a floor that will facilitate the maneuvering of the cargo. Before this can be done, the floor will be reinforced to support the weight of the cargo. Doors will be installed to load the cargo, and final checks will be made to ensure that everything is in working order.

What is the difference between a cargo and passenger pilot?
Although the internal workload may be different, pilots of cargo and passenger aircraft have a lot in common. Cargo and passenger pilots need the same training to obtain their licenses. Regardless of the workload, they will have the same FAA ratings and experience.

Again, while their journeys may be different, both have things in common. Cargo and passenger flights have the same number of pilots. As a rule of thumb, if the flight time is less than eight hours, two pilots will be required on the plane. In addition, three to four pilots will be needed.

However, only gliders were able to fly stably.

Projects to create a jet airplane were also being developed. The idea was first substantiated in 1835 by German engineers G. Rebenstein (using compressed carbonic acid) and F. Mattis (using gunpowder). G. Rebenstein presented the results of his research in the book “The Art of Floating in the Air Based on the Latest Experiences and Further Travel in All Directions with and Without Balloons, as well as Lifting the Greatest Weights to Arbitrary Heights and Moving Them Through the Air from One Place to Another with Extraordinary Speed and in the Shortest Time” (1837), published in Moscow.

The first design of an airplane with a jet engine was created by the French engineer S. de Louvrier (1865). A more advanced design of this type was proposed in 1867 by officer M. Teleshov, and in the UK, a jet aircraft by D. Butler and E. Edwards was patented at the same time. These projects were not realized, as were the projects of the inventor of Ukrainian origin M. Kybalchych, A. Winkler, F. Geschwendt, and others.

First flights
The first public airplane flight in Europe was made by A. Santos-Dumont (23.10.1906; Paris, France). It was a 14-bis airplane with an engine of his own design. A. Farman created a whole series of airplanes that were built in different countries. On 25.07.1909, the French designer-pilot L. Bleriot flew a monoplane “Bleriot XI” across the English Channel from France to England. At that time, the most widespread airplanes were the Newport, which were used by French, English, and Italian squadrons.