463L master pallet

The HCU-6/E or 463L Master Pallet is a standardized pallet used for transporting military air cargo. It is the main air-cargo pallet of the United States Air Force, designed to be loaded and offloaded on today's military airlifters as well as many civilian Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) cargo aircraft.

Fleet Logistics Support Squadron Six Four (VR-64) helps to load 463L master pallets of food, and re-building supplies donated by the government of The Arab Republic of Egypt.

Description

The "SS-463L" project was developed by a U.S. Air Force committee in 1957 and awarded to the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1959. The "SS-463L Pallet Cargo Handling System" specifications for aircraft (aka "463L") included a "Master Pallet" design to meet a component of the material handling specifications of this system. The "Master Pallet" was contracted to the AAR Cadillac Manufacturing Corporation, at one time AAR Cadillac Corp, and now AAR Corp.

In the 1950s, the U.S. Air Force used a standard designation system for all awarded projects. The "SS" represents Support System, the "463" represents an assigned general system category, 400–499 series for "Support Systems", and the suffix "L" also represents "Support Systems". The "463L" does not stand for the period that the pallet was initiated (April 1963); it is the name of the system.

The standard HCU-6/E pallet in the "463L" system was designed and finalized in the early 1960s by the AAR Cadillac Corp. to implement the "SS-463L Pallet Cargo Handling System" now known as "Materials Handling Support System "463L"". The original design of the HCU-6/E pallet met the standards of the Universal Cargo Handling Rail System design in 1962 for the C-130 and C-141 transport aircraft. The new sturdy HCU-6/E pallet was a drastic improvement to the older lightweight balsa wood pallets used by the Air Force in previous years. Each HCU-6/E pallet is 88 inches (220 cm) wide, 108 inches (270 cm) long, and 2+1⁄4 inches (5.7 cm) high. The usable space is 84 by 104 in (210 by 260 cm). It can hold up to 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) of cargo (not exceeding 250 lb per square inch) at 8 g. Empty, each pallet weighs 290 pounds (130 kg), or 355 pounds (161 kg) with two side nets and a top net.

Based on the HCU-6/E air cargo Master Pallet, additional components include the HCU-7/E side net, the HCU-15/C top net, and the CGU-1/B Device or cargo strap. MB-1 Devices or MB-2 Devices may be used with appropriate chains.

The "463L Master Pallets" can be unloaded on the ground in peacetime or in combat.

They are built of a balsa wood core and surrounded by a thin aluminum skin. There are 22 tie-down rings surrounding the edge, each rated at 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg).

Aircraft capabilities
Aircraft load rating of 463L master pallets
Aircraft 463LMP Capacity
AgustaWestland AW1012
Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion2
Boeing CH-47 Chinook3
CASA/IPTN CN-235*4
Lockheed C-130 Hercules E/H models6
Lockheed C-130 Hercules J-30 model8
Embraer KC-3907
Kawasaki C-28
Airbus A400M Atlas9
Boeing 70713
Lockheed C-141 Starlifter A model10
Douglas DC-8-6214
Douglas DC-8-6318
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III**18
Boeing KC-76719
Boeing KC-46A18
Boeing KC-1356
McDonnell Douglas KC-1030
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy36
Boeing 74742

* Including one on the ramp

** 11 in centerline configuration

See also

References
    • Projects on designation-systems.net
    • "Master Jumpmaster Update, April 2003, US Army, Fort Bragg". Archived from the original on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    • Journal article by Kenneth P. Werrell; Air Power History, Vol. 50, 2003
    • L3ABR2T231-004-II Air Transportation Apprentice Course Study Guide, May 2000, US Air Force, 345TRS, Lackland AFB, Texas
    • 463L-pallet Global Security article
    • Online information for Defence Community
    • United States Patent Application
    • USAF T.O. 1C-46(K)A-5
    • USAF T.O. 1C-135-9
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