747 Mileage

[BoatBuoy]

CNN just commented, in a context, that the president's plane, Air Force One, a 747, gets 5 miles per gallon fuel mileage. Now that's not bad for that behemoth. Do planes get that much better mileage than land vehicles? <br /><br />Maybe we all should push for advancements in aviation so we can all fly everywhere we go, i.e store, McDonald's, pharmacy, etc.

 

[eeboater]

Re: 747 Mileage

That is pretty good mileage! I never would have guessed. Guess I never thought about it.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: 747 Mileage

Wonder if that is at cruising speed, or does it include take off?<br /><br />Ken

 

[alden135]

Re: 747 Mileage

I find that real hard to believe. I don't have any contradictary facts though.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: 747 Mileage

After further research, I think CNN may have had the numbers backwards. <br /><br />It seems like a 747 gets 5 gal./mile which would actually be .2 mpg. <br /><br />At the time, I did a double-take at the graphics CNN had on the screen to be sure, because 5 mpg sounded pretty good to me as well.

 

[alden135]

Re: 747 Mileage

If the original #'s are correct, I'm going to re-power my boat with a 747 engine.

 

[eeboater]

Re: 747 Mileage

They may be basing it off of per-passenger mile.<br /><br /> http://www.boeing.com/commercial/news/feature/mileage.html

 

[JB]

Re: 747 Mileage

I think even 5 gal/mile is very suspect.

 

[eeboater]

Re: 747 Mileage

Found it -- seem CNN is dislexic...<br /><br />

A plane like a Boeing 747 uses approximately 1 gallon of fuel (about 4 liters) every second. Over the course of a 10-hour flight, it might burn 36,000 gallons (150,000 liters). According to Boeing's Web site, the 747 burns approximately 5 gallons of fuel per mile (12 liters per kilometer).

5 gallons per mile - not 5 miles per gallon.<br /><br /> http://travel.howstuffworks.com/question192.htm <br /><br />Sean

 

[ZmOz]

Re: 747 Mileage

So to fly across country uses over 15,000 gallons...enough to drive my jeep 270,000 miles! (plus jet fuel cost alot more than regular!)

 

[TELMANMN]

Re: 747 Mileage

You have to drive less so he can fly more.(7 trips to site see.) Sure glad I use a bicycle.

 

[dolluper]

Re: 747 Mileage

One flight would feed 10 families for a year

 

[butch290]

Re: 747 Mileage

At 1 gallon per sec. 3600 gallons per hour there speed would be 710 mph to be 5 gal. per mile.O well close enough, maybe thats why they have money problems.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: 747 Mileage

I have been in a 747 that was going 700+ mph (ground speed, not air speed) according to the in flight display. We must have been in the jet stream.<br /><br />Ken

 

[TexomaAv8r]

Re: 747 Mileage

Jet A is selling for $3.18 a gallon localy, 100 octane low lead av gas is $3.50..

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: 747 Mileage

A 747 typically holds 57,285 gallons of fuel x $3.18 = $182,166.30 per tank.<br /><br />An increase of a nickle a gallon amounts to $2615 increase per tank full.<br /><br />I think I'll just sit down and shut up about what I'm having to pay to fill up.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: 747 Mileage

I read that the 747 that hauls the space shuttle gets an average 21/23 gallons per mile.

 

[Triton II]

Re: 747 Mileage

A RAF Tornado fighter-bomber flat out in 'combat' power uses 1 tonne (2250lbs) of fuel per minute at low level. However leaving the thing in combat (about 16,000 lb of thrust per engine) causes an acceleration rate of over 15 kts per second so you don't have to use it for long - in fact if you left it going flat out for a couple of minutes you'd melt the thing. Even if it didn't melt it'd be out of fuel in 7 minutes. <br />On the other hand, just bimbling around, the thing is actually fairly economical - about 130lbs a minute cruising at low level at a speed of 420 knots. At high level it does better, using about 40lbs a minute at 35000ft and 10 nms per minute groundspeed (about 700 miles per hour or 0.92 mach.) I understand the 747-400 series is limited to .87 mach so to get 700+ mph you would have to have a 50+kt tailwind. I'm glad the Queen pays the fuel bills.

 

[qaztwo]

Re: 747 Mileage

I've done some flying and at altitude there is just no air to burn fuel. I have flown right seat in a lear 45, by no means a 747, at altitude fuel flow was 900lbs total which is around 140 gallons at 500-550 mph not bad. The problem is getting up there and still having fuel. The 747 to me is amazing, was the 2nd type of plane boeing built and has been the fastest and largest.

 

[jtexas]

Re: 747 Mileage

Don't tell anybody where you got this.<br /><br />For reference, zero-payload burn for a commercial<br />737-800 is around 80 lbs/min (12 gal),<br />767-300ER is around 145 lbs/min (22 gal),<br />777-200 is around 200 lbs/min (30 gal)<br />sorry, no 747's<br />at MTOW, the 737 is around 29 gal and 777 is 70 gal<br /><br />Your mileage may vary, depending on mission.<br /><br />Monday's price for jet-a was around $2.389, up 64% from a year ago. (price pd by airline, vs at the pump; excl fueling fees)