Hi there. I was hoping to find a forum like this to pick the brains of experts.
I'm a novelist and kind of a stickler for detail, so the more y'all can throw at me, the more grateful I will be!
Let's start with the basic questions:
What would be the minimum type/style/model of transoceanic cargo jet my character would own that could carry 1 to 2 containers of horses (so, 6 horses total, at maximum) direct nonstop on the following trips: coast to coast in USA; KY to London or Manchester; and London to Dubai; and still leave room for a crew lounge and a reasonable private executive suite (basically just a nice lounge area, private bedroom, small galley, and bathrooms fore & aft).
Horses weigh an average of 1200 lbs each, so the cargo weight would be about 8,500 lbs max (6 horses plus tack and equipment). The number of passengers would range from 2 to 6 plus crew (of 3, I'm guessing?).
Is there a jet like that which could still land at smaller airports like Lexington, KY?
I'm guessing/assuming that my character would have started with a cargo jet and built the executive suite into it, rather than buy a passenger jet and tear the passenger section *out*, correct?
I know nothing about how airplanes are balanced. Would the cargo section be in the fore, aft, or midsection? Would it be possible for the executive suite to have access to the cargo area to care for the horses?
My character is self-made and very wealthy but also pretty low key and not hugely pretentious, and doesn't like to spend stupid money. So, like, I've seen YT vids of the vast, luxurious aircraft the Arab countries use, but those would be too much for my character. Assume that my character has had this jet for a decade or so, so "newest whizziest" isn't really going to come into play here either.
I know the commercial horse transport companies usually use Boeing 727/737/747, BUT they're also hauling way more horses/weight than my character needs to haul.
Any help would be greatly appreciated to try and make my character sound smarter than I am! If you can point me in the direction of further resources to find answers to these types of questions, that'd be great too.
Many thanks for any help!
Liz