Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watcgl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watcgl!dmmartindale From: dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: re:my car is slower than yours Message-ID: <862@watcgl.UUCP> Date: Thu, 27-Dec-84 01:25:34 EST Article-I.D.: watcgl.862 Posted: Thu Dec 27 01:25:34 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 27-Dec-84 03:46:08 EST References: <19@tekig5.UUCP> <500055@uok.UUCP> <756@oliven.UUCP> <770@watdcsu.UUCP> <487@tpvax.fluke.UUCP> Reply-To: dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 40 In article <487@tpvax.fluke.UUCP> inc@fluke.UUCP (Gary Benson) writes: > > >> Q: How long will a VW run on the fuel a 747 uses in an hour? >> A: Twice around the world. >> >> watmath!watdcsu!haapanen > > [some calculations] > so that makes 16,000 pounds of fuel every hour. (266 lbs/min). > >Anyway, I know that a 747 can fly for at least 12 hours without refueling >because I was on once that did so. If I multiply 12 hours by 8 tons per >hour, does that mean that a 747 can hold over 96 *_TONS_* of fuel? Awesome. Well, you should allow for the fact that the fuel that a "747 uses in an hour" used in the figure above is probably "average" fuel consumption, which is probably higher than that during the long-range flight you were on - maximum range comes at lower fuel flows than maximum speed. Though I don't have actual figures here, 96 tons of fuel doesn't seem unreasonable - the heaviest versions of the 747 have a takeoff weight in the range of 400 tons. > >This got to be fun, so I did some more calculations: > > @ 2 K-gals/hour and 500 mph, the fuel efficiency rating of a 747 would be: > >500 miles/2000 gallons = 0.25 mile per gallon. ok, but calculate this in terms of passenger-miles per gallon, and then contrast with your favourite economy car - the 747 probably still loses, but not that badly. > >Also, I'm looking for a larger fuel tank for the V-Dub -- is there a scrap >yard that carries old 747 tanks? > Sorry, I suspect they just seal off sections of the wing and use those for the main tanks. I don't think it would be easy to retrofit a 747 wing to a VW - it would become impossible to handle in crosswinds...