Boeing has a long and successful history in the heavy freighter market. And, unquestionably, the two most outstanding (Boeing) freighter a/c, during recent years, in terms of popularity and widespread use, are the following:

1. Boeing 777 Freighter (Based on 777-200LR; hence sometimes referred to as "777-200LRF")
2. Boeing 748 Freighter (Based on 747-8)

In my previous post, I'd posted about the 777 Freighter. Naturally, next, my mind drifted to the 747-8 Freighter. Both are prominent examples of cargo aircraft but they serve different purposes. I've included a comparative graph of some of the characteristics of these two freighters in shot #2 below. The (twin-engine) 777F excels in Range and Fuel Efficiency etc. whereas the (larger) 748F excels in Cargo Capacity, Payload and Maximum Thrust etc. 

In this post I fly the 747-8 Freighter in the colors of TNT Express from the city of Canberra (YSCB), traveling 600 miles westward, to Adelaide (YPAD). The reason I've chosen to fly in Australia is because TNT's history is rooted in Australia. Right after World War II, in 1946, Australian transport entrepreneur, Ken Thomas, had started a small enterprise with just a single truck, in the city of Adelaide, Australia (his company would be later named as "Thomas Nationwide Transport" aka: TNT). From that one-man operation and humble beginning, business boomed, and TNT rapidly expanded into Europe and Asia. In 1996, the company was acquired by PTT Nederland. Eventually, in 2016, TNT Express merged with the U.S. cargo giant FedEx. Thus, from Australia to Netherland, and finally to U.S., TNT Express, indeed, has a rich history spanning 3 continents.

I have chosen to originate my flight from Canberra, because, TNT's founder, Ken Thomas, was born in the town of Harden, near the Australian Capital City of Canberra. 

In the livery shown below, notice the catchy slogan "Sure We Can" that was adopted by TNT Express, reflecting its "can-do" attitude. Hope you enjoy this collection of images of the 747-8 Freighter flying in the historic colors of the once well-known (and proud) international courier company, TNT Express, that would eventually lose its original identity to become part of FedEx.

It was a nice and enjoyable flight across this stretch of southeastern Australia, characterized by unique and diverse terrain features of mountains and drylands. My choice of transport, the MS/Asobo 747-8F, did its job well on my behalf...🙂...

Thanks for viewing...!

Edited August 9, 2025Aug 9 by P_7878

Fine set, thanks for sharing !

cheers 😉

Along with the Bluebird B767, the PMDG B748(F) is likely my most awaited aircraft for the sim! Great shots of the default Queen!

4 hours ago, pmplayer said:

Fine set, thanks for sharing !

cheers 😉

Thanks, pmplayer.

I have not flown the 748 in a while, and the orange TNT color attracted my attention today. This repaint was part of a cargo 748 pack I'd got also a while ago, but the livery was sitting sullenly "un-streamed" in my MSFS2024 Library...🙂...I was glad to take it to the sky for the first time.

Cheers...!

 

3 hours ago, rmeier said:

Along with the Bluebird B767, the PMDG B748(F) is likely my most awaited aircraft for the sim! Great shots of the default Queen!

Thank you.

I'd almost forgotten about the Bluebird 757/767 work in progress. Did look up a bit, and the 757 exterior/interior looks wonderful already. I also see that 767 exteriors are nearly done (as if you can almost start painting Air Canada now...🙂...), but the interior/VC is being worked on.

It definitely looks like a step-up from the Captain SIM versions of our FSX/P3D days...🙂...Feels not too long ago that I was actively (aka daily...🙂...) participating in the CS 757/767 Forums when those aircraft were being released by CS in (step-wise) phases...

Let's hope the Bluebird 757/767 come out soon for us in MSFS...!