Reference

LD-6

Full width, angled at both ends. The IATA code, rate class, weights, volume and aircraft fit are below.

LD-6 unit load device
IATA code
ALF contoured container
Code prefixes
AWA, AWF, and forkable AWC
Rate class
Type 6W
Door size
305 x 152 cm (120 x 60 in)
Aircraft it fits
747, 777, 787, DC-10, MD-11 lower hold
Max gross weight
3,175 kg (7,000 lb)
Empty weight
230 kg (507 lb)
AS1825 volume
9.1 m³ (322 ft³)
Boeing volume
8.9 m³ (316 ft³)

How the LD-6 is used

A full-width lower-hold container with angled ends, built to the ALF code. The door is canvas with straps built in.

It spans a widebody belly, so one lift replaces two half-width units. Forkable AWC versions exist, and the 3,175 kg rating sits with the other full-width lower-hold containers.

Cargo it usually takes

  • General air freight
  • Freight already on pallets
  • Bulk parcels

How this family is arranged

  • A full-width lower-hold unit with angled ends.
  • The door is canvas, with door straps built in.
  • The forkable version uses the AWC prefix.
  • Aluminium sheet on an extruded aluminium frame. The structure stays as light as it can, because every kilogram of empty weight takes the place of paying cargo.
  • A flat base with hardened edge rails locks into the aircraft latch and roller system, so the unit stays put without separate lashing.
  • One or two sides are angled to follow the fuselage curve, so the unit fills the belly cross-section instead of leaving empty corners.
  • The door is either a canvas curtain with restraint straps built in, or a hinged solid panel.
  • Forkable variants have channels so a forklift can move them, as well as a dolly and a loader.

Why operators pick it

  • It fills the curved belly space that loose cargo would leave empty.
  • The whole unit goes on and off in one lift, which keeps the turnaround short.
  • The cargo is restrained in flight, so each piece does not need its own tie-down.
  • Airlines and aircraft can swap the unit under the IATA identification system.

Settle these points before you book

  • Empty weight counts against the payload, so a heavier unit carries less cargo for the same rate.
  • The load must stay inside the contour. Anything above the profile fouls the hold and is rejected at build-up.
  • A canvas door keeps weather out. It is not a secure closure.
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