chrisstiles
1st Jul 2004, 22:14
Hi --
Some years ago, I read the book "Simple science of flight" which tangentially mentioned that 737s tend to have a lower optimal cruising speed than some of the larger types - because of it's particular mix of weight and wing size. The difference was stated to be on the order of 50mph.
Now obviously this type seems to be widely used by a number of the budget airlines flying over Europe atm. Has this caused any discernible drop in flight times that's unattributable to congestion ?
[Of course, i'm guessing that the problem is dwarfed by the congestion at each end].
Some years ago, I read the book "Simple science of flight" which tangentially mentioned that 737s tend to have a lower optimal cruising speed than some of the larger types - because of it's particular mix of weight and wing size. The difference was stated to be on the order of 50mph.
Now obviously this type seems to be widely used by a number of the budget airlines flying over Europe atm. Has this caused any discernible drop in flight times that's unattributable to congestion ?
[Of course, i'm guessing that the problem is dwarfed by the congestion at each end].