An Analysis of the Future Requirements for Materials Handling Equipment in the Military Airlift Command.
Abstract
Civilian wide-bodied aircraft are presently used to augment the Military Airlift Command's airlift capability. Many analysts believe that this wide-body usage will increase in the future. However, even today, the basic 463L materials handling equipment system (e.g., K-loaders) cannot accommodate civilian wide-bodies. Cargo loader adapters and modifications have proven infeasible, necessitating the use of elevators for loading/unloading operations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether the United States Air Force should continue to write specifications around the present K-loaders, or initiate acquisition of a cargo loader capable of interfacing with both military aircraft and civilian wide-bodied aircraft. The examination of these two decision alternatives involved three main phases: (1) a forecast of the future U.S. wide-body and narrow-body market, (2) a determination of Military Airlift Command's future loader requirements based on predicted changes in cargo activity, and (3) a net present value analysis of system costs built on various policies for loader replacement. After the results of these phases were obtained, the authors concluded that the Air Force should continue to acquire, operate, and maintain its present K-loader system. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA087094
Entities
People
- Charles D. Munson
- Christopher Carson
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology