463L Pallet Compatibility Implications for Warfighting Capacity in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet
Abstract
The Department of Defense (DOD) uses the 463L pallet nearly exclusively in the movement of war and peacetime palletized cargo. Since its introduction in the 1960s, the pallet has been used on DOD aircraft and civilian charter cargo aircraft to move defense materials. Unfortunately, the Boeing 777, the current freighter of choice by many air carriers, is unable to accommodate the 463L pallet in a traditional configuration. AMC is very concerned with the limitations that newer CRAF aircraft purchases such as the Boeing 777 create and their ability to provide the necessary wartime support when needed. This research uses a formula to determine if 463L incompatibility within the CRAF will affect a wartime mobility capacity requirement and if so, what the extent of those impacts are. This research focuses on an analysis of the 463L pallet and its compatibility with CRAF aircraft. It uses this quantitative information to maximize pallet loading on aircraft without modification. This analysis takes into account pallet dimensions and aircraft cargo floor limitations and flexibility. Additionally, it uses SMEs within the mobility community and the AMC CRAF office to identify these interoperability issues.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 16, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1054227
Entities
People
- John M. Habbestad
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology