>>Fifth Pod ferrying of 747 engines is still the most efficient way of getting
>>them moved from place to place.  I can give you a few constraints involved.  

>Why can't they just crate the engine up and put it inside?

I wondered that myself, guessing that it wouldn't fit.  To confirm
this I looked up a few numbers.  Recent United schedules happen to
list cargo specs.  For non-SP 747 models they list "bulk cargo door
dimensions" as 44"w x 47"h, though they also say an even larger
LD-7/IATA Type 5 "container" (looks more like a pallet from their
sketch) can be handled -- 125" x 88" x 63".  This is still smaller,
by a large margin, than the 95.6" or greater fan size (never mind
the nacelle) of a JT9D.  The CF6 and RB.211 are a bit smaller but
not enough to make a difference in this case.

Obviously one *would* fit in a freighter, either via the nose on a
747F or a side cargo door on a variety of types, but for an airline
such as United which doesn't operate freighters it's probable more
cost-effective to sling the engine under the wing of one of their
own planes on a regular flight.

--
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