Heyyy no worries man!! always please to share...
Yes, the tail of the B747Freighters ( all series including COMBIS and MD11F has a built in slot ( called the JACK PAD ) for the tail support jacks( called the TAIL SUPPORT STANCHION ) to be inserted when acft is going through the loading /unloading process. sometimes they are not avail n this is where loadmasters 'experience n skills come in. knowing the sequence of loading n unloading, bearing in mind that refuelling is going on & when plane is being refuelled, the static CG (on ground ) actually shifts backwards when both main wing tanks are filled.
Usually this tail support jack is used to keep plane stabilised so that main & lower deck cargo can be offloaded /loaded simultaneously, decreasing the transit time. B747F transit times are usually 3 hours. mind you around 30 pallets & 8 AKEs( containers ) to work on!
By the way, Jumbos do not have tailskid, I think the B767 & A380 have them.
(sorry abt the bad quality of photo,)
hope it helps to answer your query
Originally posted by Meia Gisborn:
Megatron,
Cool! Thanks for taking the time to upload those illustrations showing the rear loading main deck door.

I'd imagine that particular attention has to be paid to center of gravity issues while loading the cargo through the rear; I've seen images of cargo aircraft resting on their tailskids due to improper loading.
Which brings up the question: does the rear of the 200F have to be propped up with a rod to prevent the tail from settling during loading?

