How Far Can Airplanes Fly?
Everyone loves a plane with a lot of range. Here are some of the most remarkable ones ever.
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At first look, aircraft range seems to be simple: It's merely the total distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing.
In fact, many of us probably don't think too much about it beyond preflight planning to ensure that we have enough fuel to make it to the next fuel---or hamburger---stop with the appropriate reserves.
Range matters to pilots of different planes in different ways. The range of a B-52 is clearly a different animal than that of a 152, and over the course of aviation history, designers and tinkerers alike have come up with ways to increase an aircraft's range while still being mindful of the weight penalties added fuel imposes but staying fully aware of the safety and utility advantages of flying that much farther down the road.
Maximum range speed: Usually slightly more than best glide (L/Dmax )
Range extenders: Reduced power setting/fuel burn, drop tanks, in-flight refueling, tailwinds
Airliner with longest range: Airbus A350-900ULR, range 9,700 nm
Business jet with longest range: Boeing Business Jet 777X, range 11,645 nm
World War II range champ: North American P-51D Mustang, 1,434 nm with external tanks
P-51 mission: World War II fighter escort
P-51 game-changing range: Made strategic bombing of Germany possible
Lockheed P-38L Lightning: 1,100 nm; ferry range, 2,900 nm
P-38 mission: World War II fighter, bomber and reconnaissance
Reconnaissance queen: Lockheed U2 Dragon Lady, 6,090 nm
U2 mission: Cold War reconnaissance
Fastest long-range aircraft: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 2,000 nm (without refueling); ferry range: 2,824 nm
SR-71 mission: Reconnaissance and research platform
Longest-range World War II bomber: Convair B-32 Dominator, range 3,300 nm
Boeing B-29 Superfortress range: 2,820 nm
Electric aircraft range: Limited by current battery technology, approximately 1/15 of fossil fuel aircraft
Advantage: No weight change to consider
Emerging electric business jet: Eviation Alice, range of 440 nm
Certificated Pipistrel (Textron) Alpha Electro, trainer: 75 nm
Longest helicopter range: Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne, range 1,063 nm
Lightweight champ: Robinson R22, 250 nm
Spirit of St. Louis range: 3,600 nm
Range of 1903 Wright Flyer: 852 feet
The 1904 Wright Flyer II: 4.3 nm
Unrefueled distance record: Scaled Composites Model 311 Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, 19,000 nm
Most-produced typical range: Cessna 172, 640 nm
Early flyer range: J3C-65 Cub, 191 nm
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