When required for immediate use at deployment sites, engines and other equipment with fuel tanks may be airlifted uncrated and with fuel tanks three-fourths full.

Fuel-in-tank limitations from trailer-mounted and single-axle units must not exceed one-fourth full when these units are disconnected from the prime mover with the tongue resting on the aircraft floor. Additionally, the fuel tank must be drained, but not purged, when these units are positioned on the aircraft cargo ramp.

Tankers and refuelers containing fuel are not authorized for air movement. They must be emptied, purged, and labeled according to NAVSUP 505. Water tanks and water trailers must be airlifted empty according to AFM 76-6, paragraph J-5.

After the CESE has passed the equipment inspection, it is then turned over to the weight and balance team.

Weight and Balance

To plan an airlift and correctly break down loads for individual aircraft, it is necessary to determine the weights and centers of balance (C/B) of the cargo units. There are two main categories of cargo: vehicles and general cargo.

VEHICLES. - The weights and centers of balance of vehicles are determined with secondary loads (mobile loads) mounted. Mobile loads are items of baggage or cargo transported in truck beds and trailers that must be included in the total weight of a vehicle. To determine the C/B on a vehicle, the 20th Naval Construction Regiment Embarkation Staff (R23), Gulfport, Mississippi, recommends the following procedures:

Step 1. Establish the reference datum line (RDL). The RDL is the farthest forward point of a vehicle.

Step 2. Measure distance 1 (D1). D1 is the measurement in inches from the RDL to the center line of the front axle.

Step 3. Measure distance 2 (D2). D2 is the measurement in inches from the RDL to the center line of the intermediate axle or rear axle.

NOTE: The D2 measurement location for vehicles with tandem axles is measured from the RDL to the trunnion.

Step 4. Measure distance 3 (D3). D3 is the measurement in inches from the RDL to the center line of the rear axle. This step is performed on vehicles that have three or more axles or on towed vehicles that will remain married (attached) to a vehicle when loaded on the aircraft. The axles on a towed vehicle will become D4, D5, and so forth (fig. 4- 10).

To perform steps 5, 6, and 7, drive the vehicle onto portable scales placed under the tires on each axle.

Step 5. Determine the forward axle weight (FAW). The FAW is the total weight reading of the scales under each front tire. (Example: The left front tire scale reads 3,000 pounds, and the right front tire scale reads 3,000 pounds. In this example, the FAW would be written as FAW 6,000 pounds.) Write the FAW on a piece of weather-resistant material, such as duct tape, with a grease pencil, and attach to the vehicle fender above the axle. Upon arrival at the site, remember to remove this tape to avoid peeling any paint from the vehicle.

Step 6. Determine the intermediate axle weight (IAW). The IAW is the total weight reading of the scales under the intermediate tires. Follow the procedures for step 5 and label the reading as IAW on the masking tape. Remember, the IAW is the weight readings of both the left and right tire scales added together and recorded in pounds.

Figure 4-10. - CESE distance measurement locations.