PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Long range capabilities of medium range aircraft?
Old 26th Jan 2007, 12:08
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skippiebg
 
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Laker did it

Laker Airways (exeunt Feb 1982) was known for pushing it's a/c's ranges.

Short-bodied One-Elevens flew in a 79 seat layout (89 pax certified, with 99 pax in a Channel Airways four-exit special) to the Canaries from LGW. DC-10-10s regularly flew LGW to JFK and Orlando in a 345 seat layout (380 typical all-Y layout; 399 certified, not used AFAIK).

Apart from lowering payload, Laker kept his planes squeaky clean, so the drag from toilet outlets and leaky seals oozing draggy dust-bitten oil wasn't a factor in his flight planning.

There are even apocryphal stories he instructed One-Eleven pilots to use the slipstream from departing 707s and similar to climb using less thrust. (Hmm... wake turb clearly didn't trouble him much...)

Graduated thrust on TO is said to have been used first by Laker c. 1970, though B.Cal claimed credit for it in a 1973 Flight article and has been credited with it ever since.

Also Court Line (noisily exeunt Aug 1974) flew L-1011s to the WIndies with an optional tech stop in Bermuda from Luton in a 400 seat layout but, I seem to recall, a max of 330-odd pax on these services. Also seem to recall they occasionally routed via Gander.

Last edited by skippiebg; 26th Jan 2007 at 15:16.
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