N251UP

This airframe, registered as N251UP, is a McDonnell Douglas-built freighter: McDonnell Douglas MD-11F constructed in 1995 with manufacturer serial number 48744. The aircraft is owned by UNITED PARCEL SERVICE CO (a corporation based in Louisville, KY, US) and bears a United States registration. Operated for cargo service under its corporate owner, this airframe has been configured and maintained for main-deck pallet and container freight operations and retains features consistent with freighter conversions and operator heavy-maintenance cycles. Registry records indicate U.S. registration and corporate ownership; no separate secondary-owner history or notable registry actions are published in the provided data.

This specific MD-11F is laid out in a main-deck freighter configuration with pallet/container capability, while the lower deck accommodates LD3 positions following its freighter conversion. The short flight-crew complement is reflected by the limited cabin seating of 7, appropriate for cargo-operations crews and repositioning personnel. Avionics are equipped with the Honeywell VIA 2000 suite (the MD-11 standard multi-display CRT avionics configuration), a system typically modernized during operator heavy maintenance cycles and maintained to cargo-operational standards. Typical mission profiles for this airplane include medium- to long-range cargo routes out of its operator base in Louisville, KY, optimized for palletized freight and container throughput; maintenance considerations focus on freighter-bulkhead and lower-deck handling systems in addition to the tri-jet CF6 engine support infrastructure.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F family occupies a niche as a long-range, high-capacity tri-jet freighter, offering greater payload and reach than many twin-engine freighters of its era but with higher fuel and maintenance costs. Competing types for operators seeking similar payload-range capability include converted widebody twins and newer twinjets with extended-range freighter conversions; buyers and operators weigh the MD-11F’s payload and main-deck volume against CF6 engine maintenance demands and tri-jet systems complexity. For resale and long-term marketability, this airframe’s freighter conversion, established operator support, and avionics fit are favorable, while fleet age (built 1995) and lifecycle maintenance requirements remain relevant considerations.