Airliner Fuel Efficiency

[c152pilot]

Hi,

Just a quick question, if a Ford Ka can do, lets say, 65 miles to the gallon, what can the average wide body airliner do per person??

c152pilot

[Send Clowns]

Worked it out once, using a 737-400 as an example (as I had CAP 697 available, and the MRJT example in there is the 734). I seem to remember that at about 2/3 full the aircraft burned as much as a fleet modern, mid-sized car with two to three people per car to carry the same numbers, distance London to Nice as an example. Assuming many of the businessmen would probably drive alone otherwise, over this range the jet is quite an efficient option, certainly the case against air travel is not as clear as environmentalists would say.

For a rough guide a 737-400 uses about 2.5 tonnes per hour of Jet A1 (Sp G around 0.80 kg/litre) and cruises around 430-450 knots TAS.

[sanket_patel]

Also heard that if every pax in a 747 took a car to cover the same distance instead of flying, the 747 burns less fuel. I know I dont have any numbers but i can believe it. Airliners are only getting more efficient. Aircrafts these days (777, A330...) burn 30-50% less fuel per passenger then older aircrafts (707, DC-10...).
Just thought I would mention this. :ok:

[Intruder]

A 747-400 burns from 1.8 to 3.4 tonnes/hour/engine at cruise, depending on weight. Call it 3400 gal/hour on average. At 500 knots, that's 585 mph. 585/3400=0.17 mpg (5.8 gal/mi). If there are 350 passengers on board, that's 60 passenger miles per gallon -- about the same as the claim for my wife's new Toyota Prius when she's driving to work solo (though so far she only gets 46-48...)!

[dragon501]

But its just so much nicer to order 150ton of jetA1 then it is to fill the Prius up isn't it...

Cheerio

[df1]

Comparable indeed. Equivalent efficiency plus there are not many Ford Ka's that can get you to Nice an hour and a half.

[selfin]

http://www.bh.com/companions/034074152X/appendices/default.htm

Data set A refers, scroll to the very bottom.

For example the 747-400 burns (kg of fuel per passenger per nautical mile): 0.05 kg.

B767-300ER, 0.0472 kg.
DC 9-30, 0.0860 kg.
MD 11, 0.0543 kg.
F100, 0.0604 kg.
A300-600R, 0.0529 kg.
A320-200, 0.0443 kg.
A340-300, 0.0472 kg.
B737-400, 0.0395 kg.
B737-800, 0.0465 kg.

etc..