175,000 lbs out of ASI
When the first A/C were operating out of ASI the refuelling control was a little primitive with the rig of four tanks, collector box and associated pipework in the fuselage. The required loads were 175,000 lbs but the internals were a little bit awkward to accurately refuel to the correct figures so it was only after some comments on " I know these are heavy but they dont climb much at all" that some checks were carried out and we realised that with the pan slopeing in the wrong way you could actually achieve nearly 185,000 lbs on the frame. This went some way to explaining the lack of climb rate and the discrepancies on some of the refuels that were carried out. This I know cos I was there as one of the G/Es who did the HDU course at Marham before they ( Marshalls ) had actually fitted a HDU to a Herc, and went back to Marshalls to see the films they took of the drogue deployment trials.