N743CK

This airframe, designated N743CK, is a Boeing-built freighter constructed in 1993 with manufacturer serial number 26350. The airframe is a converted freighter of the Boeing 747-400 series, listed as a Boeing 747-446 (BCF), and is recorded as owned by Kalitta Air LLC, a corporation based in Ypsilanti, MI, US. The aircraft carries a United States registration (US) and is operated within the Kalitta fleet from its stated corporate location. Documentation reflects the airframe’s status as a main-deck freighter after conversion, with lower-hold containerized cargo capability.

The airframe is configured as a main-deck freighter following a Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) modification, with the lower hold arranged for containerized cargo loading. Typical mission profiles for this configuration emphasize medium-to-long haul cargo operations consistent with a 4,445 nm ferry or revenue range and a cruise speed near 490 kts, supporting transcontinental and intercontinental schedules. Operated by Kalitta Air LLC from its U.S. base, the aircraft’s maintenance considerations follow large widebody freighter practice, including attention to the CF6-80C2B1F engine shop visits and structural inspections associated with passenger-to-freighter conversions. Seating is listed as 490, reflecting the aircraft’s original passenger-type certification heritage prior to conversion.

The Boeing 747-446 airframe occupies a long-range, high-payload niche within the large freighter market, offering heavy lift capability and significant lower-hold container capacity after BCF conversion. Competing aircraft types in the heavy-freighter segment include other 747 variants and large-body freighters from manufacturers such as Airbus, while demand is driven by global cargo operators and ACMI/charter specialists. Resale and maintenance considerations hinge on engine type—here the GE CF6-80C2B1F—conversion history, and remaining structural life since the airframe’s build year of 1993.