Which items are included in the empty weight of an aircraft?

• A. The weight of airframe and engines only.
• B. The weight of airframe, engines, and all items of the operating equipment that have fixed locations and are permanently installed in the aircraft, including optional and special equipment.
• C. The weight of payload and usable fuel.
• D. The weight of crew and removable accessories.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that empty weight is the weight of the aircraft with all permanently installed equipment in place. This includes the airframe, the engines, and all items of operating equipment that have fixed locations and are permanently installed, including optional and special equipment. These are the parts that stay with the aircraft regardless of mission and aren’t meant to be removed for flight.

Payload, usable fuel, crew, and removable accessories are not part of empty weight; they represent loads that can be added or removed during operations. So the description that matches empty weight precisely is the one that covers the airframe, engines, and all permanently installed equipment (including permanently installed optional or special equipment).