Abstract: A system and method of automatically setting a flat rate engine power setting of an aircraft determines the weight of loaded cargo containers to determine the total gross weight of the aircraft prior to take-off, determines, from the total gross weight, the required flat rate engine power for the aircraft, such as by inputting the stored value into a look-up table, and automatically sets the flat rate setting of the aircraft's engines to correspond to the determined required engine power, prior to take-off, by sending the obtained required flat rate engine power as a command signal to an engine control system.

Abstract: A freight feeder aircraft and method of transporting containerized cargo using the same includes a cargo container access door opening located at the fore portion of the aircraft fuselage and dimensioned to accommodate standardized cargo containers such as LD-3 containers. A load bearing cargo access ramp is located at the aft portion of the fuselage and opens downwardly to provide a ramp for unloading cargo containers to the ground. The interior of the fuselage includes an elongated, unobstructed cargo compartment which is configured to accommodate a number of standardized cargo containers. Substantially simultaneous loading and unloading of cargo containers is achieved to thereby substantially reduce the time required for cargo on-load and off-load between aircraft landing and subsequent takeoff.