The Boeing Dreamlifter
The Dreamlifter is a 747-400 rebuilt with an enlarged fuselage and a swing tail to fly Boeing 787 assemblies between suppliers and Boeing's assembly lines.
The Dreamlifter is the aeroplane that carries other aeroplanes. It is a 747-400 rebuilt with a fuselage more than three times the volume of a standard freighter, and it exists for one reason: to move Boeing 787 assemblies between the factories that build them and the lines that join them together.
Why it was built
The 787 is not assembled from raw material at Everett. It arrives as very large finished sections — wings from Japan, fuselage barrels from Italy and South Carolina — and those sections have to reach the assembly line intact.
Boeing announced on 13 October 2003 that because of the time marine shipping required, air transport would become the primary method of moving 787 assemblies. Sea freight took around a month; the Dreamlifter does it in about a day.
What was changed
The conversion is drastic. The upper fuselage was replaced with a vastly enlarged structure, giving a cargo volume of roughly 65,000 cubic feet — far beyond anything a normal freighter offers, and shaped to swallow objects that are bulky rather than heavy.
Crucially, cargo does not go in through the nose. The entire rear fuselage swings sideways on a hinge, and loading happens from behind using a purpose-built vehicle that is the longest cargo loader in the world.
That was the right choice for the payload: a 787 wing is a single very long object, and loading it end-on through a tail opening is far simpler than trying to manoeuvre it through a door amidships.
Four aircraft
All four Dreamlifters are converted used 747-400 passenger aircraft rather than new-build airframes — an economical way to obtain a very large aeroplane for a specialised job.
They remain among the most active 747s flying, and they outlived 747 production itself. As long as Boeing builds the 787, the Dreamlifters have work.
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
|---|---|
| Variant | 747 Large Cargo Freighter (Dreamlifter) |
| Status | In service |
| Number built | 4 |
Airborne. The shape is aerodynamically odd but perfectly flyable.Boeing
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Frequently asked questions
- Why did Boeing build the Dreamlifter?
- The 787 is built from large sections made by suppliers around the world. Shipping them by sea took around 30 days; flying them in a Dreamlifter takes about one. Boeing announced in October 2003 that air transport would be the primary method.
- How does the Dreamlifter load cargo?
- Through the tail. The entire rear fuselage swings sideways, and a purpose-built loader — the longest cargo loader in the world — slides the cargo in from behind.
- How many Dreamlifters are there?
- Four, all converted from used 747-400 passenger aircraft. They remain in service and outlived 747 production itself.
More in Special Boeing 747s
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The 747 ASB
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