52
votes
Accepted
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 ...
- 73.5k
28
votes
Accepted
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 ...
- 62.3k
22
votes
Accepted
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 ...
- 134k
21
votes
Accepted
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 ...
- 71.9k
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 ...
- 6,803
14
votes
Accepted
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 ...
- 236k
12
votes
Accepted
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 ...
- 102k
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 ...
- 15.6k
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 ...
- 102k
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 ...
- 1,318
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, ...
- 74.5k
9
votes
Accepted
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: ...
- 57.6k
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 ...
- 12.8k
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 ...
- 236k
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) = ...
- 52.6k
7
votes
Accepted
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 ...
- 73.5k
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 ...
- 57.6k
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 ...
- 54.2k
7
votes
Accepted
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 ...
- 20.9k
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 ...
- 62.3k
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 ...
- 22.1k
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 ...
- 6,984
6
votes
Why do propellers have less theoretical range (i.e. range ignoring impatient passengers wanting to go fast) than jets, despite greater efficiency?
For more background, this question is about the usage of Breguet Range Equation (I find this explanation better suited for this question)
There are many problems with your calculation:
Time unit of ...
- 3,060
6
votes
Why do propellers have less theoretical range (i.e. range ignoring impatient passengers wanting to go fast) than jets, despite greater efficiency?
I think there are some confusion here, in particular, as @user3528438 said, with units used in formulas. I'll also try to highlight problem with another point of view.
1. Formulas comparison
First of ...
- 481
5
votes
Why did LaMia flight 2933 plan a flight longer than its listed fuel range?
The investigation is still on-going so I will stick to what is factually known. An airplane's range through the air should not be confused with travel over the ground, actual distance over the ground ...
- 54.2k
5
votes
During an engine failure should I deploy 10° of flap or keep it clean?
In general, the cleanest configuration gives the least drag and hence the maximum range at the optimum gliding speed. Flaps should be lowered (with caution) only a short time before touching the ...
- 11.1k
5
votes
What determines a plane's range?
As also stated in this answer:
Range is a function of MTOW and empty weight, according to the Breguet Equation for a jet:
$$R=\frac{V}{c_T} \cdot \frac{L}{D} \cdot ln\frac{W_i}{W_i-W_f}$$
with ${c_T}...
- 62.3k
5
votes
What is the maximum (unloaded) range of the Beluga XL?
For an estimate, we can use the Brequet range equation:
$range = V\cdot t_f
= \frac{L}{D} \times I_{sp} \times \ln\left(\frac{W_i}{W_f}\right) $
with:
$V$: optimal velocity
$t_f$: flight time
$L$:...
- 83.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Why do propellers have less theoretical range (i.e. range ignoring impatient passengers wanting to go fast) than jets, despite greater efficiency?
Update
As @Zeus has pointed out correctly: Drag coefficient stay constant in my scenario, not drag -- I've updated the explanation accordingly. Sorry for that blunder. The conclusion does not change: ...
- 792
5
votes
How can a designer maximize the glide ratio of an aircraft with low aspect ratio wings, other than by increasing the aspect ratio?
With a given wing span, everything that reduces drag will increase the gliding range. Aspect ratio is less of a factor here because induced drag depends on wing span, not aspect ratio. But increasing ...
- 236k
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