A Boeing 787-9 burns about 5400 litres of fuel per hour. At a cruising speed of 900km/h, that equates to 600 litres/100km. On average, a modern family-size vehicle uses about 8 litres/100km, or 75 times less fuel.
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While most people think driving a car is better for the environment than flying in an airplane, that's not necessarily true because airplane engines are getting much more efficient.
For example, a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute states the energy intensity of car transportation is on average 57% higher than air transports. In other words, a car emits more CO2 than the average planes because they consume more energy to transport the same amount of passengers.
A Boeing 747 filled with passengers to only 75 percent capacity is more fuel-efficient than an automobile with a driver and one passenger in terms of fuel burn per passenger mile. Hard to believe, isn't it?
A 747 is transporting 500 people 1 mile using 5 gallons of fuel. That means the plane is burning 0.01 gallons per person per mile (5/500). In other words, the plane is getting 100 miles per gallon (42 kilometers per liter) per person! Not bad when you consider that the 747 is flying at 550 mph (900 kph).
When an airplane experiences less drag, it consumes less fuel. This relationship between speed and fuel consumption means that flying at a slightly slower speed can result in significant fuel savings for airlines, which in turn can lower operating costs and potentially reduce ticket prices for passengers.
A 4,000-mile flight, then, requires 20,000 gallons of fuel. Divided among roughly 400 passengers, that's 50 gallons of fuel to move each person aboard from, say, Chicago to London. A Honda Civic that gets 30 miles per gallon would need 133 gallons of fuel to make a trip of the same distance.
This relationship between speed and fuel consumption means that flying at a slightly slower speed can result in significant fuel savings for airlines, which in turn can lower operating costs and potentially reduce ticket prices for passengers.
For example, a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute states the energy intensity of car transportation is on average 57% higher than air transports. In other words, a car emits more CO2 than the average planes because they consume more energy to transport the same amount of passengers.
Airplanes are fast and efficient because they can operate in a low friction environment. There are no wheels (at least in flight) that have to be constantly be rolled over the ground, and at higher altitude the air is thinner which reduces air drag dramatically.
On many larger commercial airplanes, a special nozzle is fitted to the wing.If a pilot deems it necessary, the system pumps fuel out of the nozzle into the atmosphere quickly – we're talking about a few tons per minute in most cases. It may look dramatic, but it's not a dangerous procedure.
For example, a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute states the energy intensity of car transportation is on average 57% higher than air transports. In other words, a car emits more CO2 than the average planes because they consume more energy to transport the same amount of passengers.
At one time, gasoline was used in airplanes. But the need for a higher energy fuel made the aviation industry look for alternative fuels. With a Boeing 747 burning up to one gallon of fuel every second, it's lucky that kerosene-based jet fuel is cheaper than gasoline!
Also known as the Queen of the Skies, the 747 boasts a maximum fuel capacity of 63,000 gallons with slight variations between models. With today's fuel prices, it costs about $450,000 to fill up a Boeing 747, depending on your market.
Fuel dumping (or a fuel jettison) is a procedure used by aircraft in certain emergency situations before a return to the airport shortly after takeoff, or before landing short of the intended destination (emergency landing) to reduce the aircraft's weight.
Commercial airliners, such as the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380, have a range of around 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles. This means that they can fly for up to 20 hours without refueling, allowing them to travel long distances across the globe.
Simply add the strength of the headwind (30 mph) to your best glide speed (78 mph) and you've got the most efficient speed to fly—here, 108 mph. To determine an airplane's Carson speed, multiply its best glide speed by 1.32. This will get the best result in terms of true airspeed and fuel consumption.