Aircraft Cargo Loading
Managing cargo loading for U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft is a challenging task, requiring an understanding of elements such as aircraft limitations, aircraft center of gravity, cargo space dimensions, and tie-down procedures to name a few. These loading requirements are specified in each aircraft’s lengthy Cargo Loading Guide (CLG).
To address the problem of efficiently and effectively stowing cargo, Stottler Henke has developed for the U.S. Navy the Aircraft Cargo Evaluator Android app that assists aircrew in completing their loadmaster duties. The Aircraft Cargo Evaluator app performs calculations and provide feedback to help achieve efficient and effective cargo loading. The apps allows the user to develop scenarios that include 3D models of aircraft, cargo, and tie-down patterns, and then analyzes the tie-downs according to CLG-defined rules. The app also uses genetic algorithms to automatically search for efficient and effective tie-down patterns for a scenario.