On Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 12:57 PM, Anthony Jackson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Brandon Cope wrote:
>>
>> GURPS WWII (p.148) goes  into more detail on fuel consumption and
>> maintenance interval at varying speeds. At "patrol speed" for
>> aircraft (30% top speed), fuel consumption is only 1/4 normal.
>> However, the trick is not dropping below stall speed in the process.
>
> Hm. That seems unlikely for patrol speed; many aircraft have minimum fuel
> consumption at a fairly high fraction of peak speed. For example, a 747, at
> 40,000 feet, has minimum fuel consumption per unit distance at somewhere
> between 500 and 600 mph, and a max speed not appreciably above that.
>
> Problem here is that the equations for power and thrust in Vehicles are
> wrong.

Don't forget that reciprocating engines have very different
efficiency/power curves than turbine engines do.  piston engines have
a not quite linear consumption of fuel with increasing power output,
until they peak, where it falls off rapidly.  Turbines don't.  They
consume an incredible amount of fuel at idle, and not much more as
power output goes up.


-- 
David Scheidt
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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