View Full Version : How do they get RJs to Hawaii?
Navcant
12th Dec 2006, 06:19
Not sure if this is the right forum but here goes.
Just visited Hawaii (PHNL) and while there I noticed many RJs, some DC9s and a lot of 737-2XXs...
Just wondering how those a/c got to the islands?
I know C172s and the like are transported by ship as I think DH8s are but I don't think you can put a 737 on a freighter...or can you?
VB
Captb747
12th Dec 2006, 07:08
I did read an article a while ago in some mag, regarding hawaiian,s B717,s. They take the seats out and put ferry tanks in, and when they get there, out come the tanks and in go the seats....:ok:
Mercenary Pilot
12th Dec 2006, 08:51
I read an article about a Hawaiian airline that has just bought a couple of CRJ's (if I remember correctly). They used the ferry tank method as described above.
:ok:
Long ago in the prop aircraft days I believe smaller aircraft in Hawaii (too small to fly the distance and too large to be broken down and shipped by sea) were ferried there from the US via Greenland, Europe, Asia and across the Pacific islands, which can be done in notably smaller steps. Is this approach still used ? Nowadays you can presumably go via Alaska and make stops in the Russian Far East, previously not possible.
I would have thought most jets, even RJs, could nowadays do the trip without much supplementary tankage.
There was an interesting article in Propliner magazine some years ago about ferrying some US Army surplus DHC4 Caribous back from the Pacific to California, they plodded along from Hawaii on the longest stretch taking about 14 hours airborne (at like 190 knots !), but not an issue.
Would you sometimes need supplementary lubricating oil tanks as well as fuel ferry tanks ?
seacue
13th Dec 2006, 23:02
Commercial passenger flights between the mainland and Hawaii took a long time in the early days.
The original PanAm Clippers, Martin M-130 (1935), cruised at about 160 mph.
http://www.flyingclippers.com/M130.html
Three were built. I think all met untimely ends.
The newer and larger Boeing 314 (1938) was built in larger quantity. It cruised at about 180 mph.
http://www.flyingclippers.com/B314.html
11Fan
14th Dec 2006, 04:30
Captb747 got it right on. :ok:
11Fan
barit1
15th Dec 2006, 11:53
Max Conrad, while not the first to do the ferry tank routine in light aircraft, developed it to a high science. At cruise with a carbureted engine, he used carb heat to get complete evaporation of the fuel, thus best SFC.
I have a photo of his PA-24 parked next to Dad's DGA, with the two shaking hands.
Max must have done something right, because he died at home in bed.