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...