Weight of fuel
@DonLeslie: (Not a pilot. No need to respond)
a) Could crosscheck calculations reveal: You have enough fuel for roughly forty hours in the air (or some other ridiculous figure)? (I'm presuming they had enough fuel onboard to keep that extra 100 tonnes airborne for the planned duration.)
b) A large US manufacturer will apply minimal paint upon request. The manufacturer's weight is monitored that closely. Couldn't the weight and balance calculations produce a figure somewhat in line with that original measure for the specific air frame?
To belabour: The weight and balance sheet for a short flight with ping pong balls would look vastly different than that for an automobile axle shipment halfway around the world. But, in both cases, a similar tare weight should emerge.
Edit: typos