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52 votes
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Why did flying boats in the '30s and '40s have a longer range than land based aircraft?

Since fuel volume in aircraft is a large factor in range, and the volume of an aircraft increases faster than the linear size, larger aircraft have a big advantage for range. In the 1930s, the biggest ...
fooot's user avatar
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41 votes
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Could the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft do a transatlantic flight with a Space Shuttle orbiter on its back?

Short Answer A procedure had been established to return from a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) site to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) using the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). The maximum weight that ...
mins's user avatar
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28 votes

Could the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft do a transatlantic flight with a Space Shuttle orbiter on its back?

Yes, it was possible and NASA had a plan. Enterprise was taken on a European tour in 1983, visiting the UK, France, Germany and Italy. To get there, it crossed the Atlantic on the back of the Shuttle ...
David Richerby's user avatar
28 votes
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How can some stretched derivative airplanes have longer range while most have less?

When aircraft are stretched, they usually just receive extra fuselage plugs on both sides of the wing: wing redesigns are incredibly expensive and take a long time. So the longer aircraft has a higher ...
Koyovis's user avatar
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22 votes
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In an engine failure, should I expect less range than with the engine in idle?

Yes to some degree. It depends on the idle rpm, prop pitch, engine compression and your gliding speed, but if the engine is off but windmilling, there is substantial drag from the energy needed to ...
John K's user avatar
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21 votes
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During an engine failure should I deploy 10° of flap or keep it clean?

You keep it clean: adding flaps adds drag. You can see this in Section 3 of the Cessna POH, which includes a Maximum Glide (distance) diagram. In the C172S POH that I checked, it notes that maximum ...
Pondlife's user avatar
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15 votes
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How do ER models store more fuel?

Not all fuel is stored in the wings. Some is also stored in the fuselage. The ER variants have a larger, or additional, centre (fuselage) tanks at the expense of cargo bays volume. The centre tank is ...
Jan Hudec's user avatar
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15 votes

What is the longest range single-pilot certified (FAA and/or EASA) business jet?

There aren't any civilian, current-production jets that come close to the range of the SJ30 for single pilot operations based on my research, although one or two turboprops have comparable ranges. I ...
Cody P's user avatar
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14 votes
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Jettisonable wingspan for early long-range airplanes

US supersonic bomber concepts were studied in the Fifties where the outer wing could be jettisoned. The WS-110 concept by North American shown below (source) sported wing extensions with fuel tanks ...
Peter Kämpf's user avatar
12 votes
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What is the longest range single-pilot certified (FAA and/or EASA) business jet?

There are only a hand full of single pilot jets in production currently and the SJ30x seems to have the longest range by far. The other competitors in the space, the Cessna Citation Mustang, The Honda ...
Dave's user avatar
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11 votes
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What would be the range of a cargo 777 full of usable fuel up to MTOW?

First, go to the Boeing Airport Planning documents website. This includes a wealth of information about most Boeing commercial aircraft. Choose the document that matches the aircraft you're ...
Rob McDonald's user avatar
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9 votes

How can pressure pattern navigation be applied to light airplanes?

Here is an interesting slide show that may be of some help. The FAA still does (although extremely rarely from my understanding), issue a flight navigator rating. This rating dates back to the early ...
Dave's user avatar
  • 100k
9 votes
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How far can a Super Hornet fly at max supersonic speed in a clean configuration?

An estimate: An F-18E Rhino can only obtain its maximum speed of Mach 1.8 only at 36,000 ft in ideal air conditions and only in a clean configuration i.e. no external stores. At 36000 ft at STP, ...
Romeo_4808N's user avatar
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9 votes

How do jet fighters get to war?

These articles [1, 2] from The Register describe the procedure followed, when a couple of F-35 jet were delivered from the US to the UK. Crossing the Atlantic in a peace-time delivery could well be ...
Dohn Joe's user avatar
  • 1,118
9 votes

What would have happened when the Concorde's low-pressure emergency system brought it lower mid-flight?

I'm answering a point in a comment by the OP, rather than answering the question itself directly - but I do think it's totally relevant. Feel free to vote accordingly :) This list provides a list of ...
Simon's user avatar
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9 votes
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Which single pilot jet has the largest cabin and longest range?

According to Wikipedia's list of light jets, the longest ranges (for single pilot certified jets) are: SyberJet SJ30: 2205 NM Pilatus PC-24: 2035 NM Embraer Phenom 300: 1936 NM Cessna Citation CJ4: ...
Bianfable's user avatar
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8 votes

Could the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft do a transatlantic flight with a Space Shuttle orbiter on its back?

Apparently Yes. From NASA document Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites(emphasis mine): Payloads and/or airborne support equipment will remain onboard the orbiter for the flight ...
aeroalias's user avatar
  • 100k
8 votes

In an engine failure, should I expect less range than with the engine in idle?

The answer to this is a definite "maybe". YouTube personality Trent Palmer tested this very question. He was actually able to glide further with the engine off than he was with it at idle. It was a ...
HiddenWindshield's user avatar
8 votes

Why do fighter aircraft not use anti-shock bodies for fuel storage?

Who says they didn't? You need to look further into history, though. The first application of tanks shaped as Küchemann bodies were "Doppelreiter" fuel tanks (slipper fuel tanks) which were ...
Peter Kämpf's user avatar
8 votes

What would be the range of a cargo 777 full of usable fuel up to MTOW?

First cut numbers, working from Wikipedia's B-777 page, and using the 777-200LR, since that seems to be the longest-ranged of the models: Max Takeoff Weight (aircraft + passengers + cargo + fuel) = ...
Ralph J's user avatar
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7 votes
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What would have happened when the Concorde's low-pressure emergency system brought it lower mid-flight?

The pilots had a clear procedure to follow for an emergency descent, but this procedure was not automated by a machine. (It's actually quite complicated because Concorde had no speed brakes. So it ...
Calchas's user avatar
  • 1,502
7 votes

Why there is such a strong correlation between the range of an airliner and its passenger capacity?

A big part of the difference in range between small and large aircraft is simply mathematical. When you make a 3D object larger, area increases with the square of length while volume increases with ...
fooot's user avatar
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7 votes
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How far could the Airbus A321XLR actually fly commercially?

Airbus is quoting the ranges in nautical miles (nm) which is typical for aircraft. The Great Circle Mapper you linked is using statute miles, which are shorter. If you switch it to be in nautical ...
fooot's user avatar
  • 71.8k
7 votes

What is the correct range of the 787-10?

The range of an aircraft depends on the payload. The value you typically find is the range at typical payload. You can find the payload/range diagram in the Boeing 787 Airplane Characteristics for ...
Bianfable's user avatar
  • 54.3k
7 votes

Could an executive configured ATR 42-600 get 2000nm range?

No, it wouldn't be possible as the airplane cannot carry that much weight. The ATR 42-600 has a maximum take-off weight of 18,600kg, and an empty weight of 11,550kg, so its maximum load is about ...
GdD's user avatar
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7 votes
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Which aircraft has the best fuel mileage per person?

There are a number of considerations in answering this question. This will emphasize how aircraft are actually used rather than some best case scenario, as a giant all economy flight might be. The ...
Pilothead's user avatar
  • 19k
6 votes
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What is the ferry range of an A380?

Q: Could it fly between any two suitable airports on Earth, i.e. further than 20038km? A: Not likely
Him's user avatar
  • 5,288
6 votes

Gliding range if engine is off

I'm going to assume that when you say 1000 meters above sea level, what you really mean is 1000 meters above ground level. 1000 m AMSL can be underground in many locations. First, you need to ...
user's user avatar
  • 6,974
6 votes

How did shortening the 707 increase its range?

If the fuse was shortened that much (reducing both the weight of the airframe and its cargo-carrying capacity) and the maximum takeoff weight stayed the same, the most natural explanation is that the ...
niels nielsen's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

How did shortening the 707 increase its range?

MTOW is Empty Weight + Payload + Fuel Weight, and is limited by aircraft geometry factors. For a shortened aircraft, empty weight will be lower, which means either more payload or more fuel weight ...
Koyovis's user avatar
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