56mpg at 138mph?

[landspeed]

I put this in the alternative transportation section, because it is an alternative to car transportation. Feel free to move if there is somewhere better to put it

Basically, this plane:

Home

Does 56mpg (US) or 66.666mpg (Imperial) at cruise speed of 138mph.

This is pretty imprssive given the fact that a 747 does about 20-30mpgs 'per person' if you divide the fuel used by a FULL plane. In theory it should be more economical as you get more people into it. The plane above, despite being a single seater, generates less CO2 per mile per person than a 747 or other commercial planes.

If I get my private pilot's license I will be very interested in one of these, particularly living in NZ where it takes a LONG time to get anywhere by road a 2 seater version would be even better!

[ebacherville]

thats pretty awsome for flight.. really over coming the air resistance to move forward and holding your self up in the air at the same time... thats MPG rating is very impressive

[jamesqf]

IIRC some of Rutan's designs, like the VariEZ and LongEZ, would get in the mid-40s mpg, cruising at about 135 kts.

[offroad1994]

Why can this not be modified for land use? Oh yea - we need to stop and go on land.

[elhigh]

The Quickie II was a Rutan design I think, it used half a VW engine to deliver about 60mpg at 80-120mph, carried two. Funny to look at, too - two sets of very slender wings, like a dragonfly.

[dremd]

Diesel FTW!
Where do I sign up?
Always said that I wanted an airplane.

I've also seen a tiny plane that did about 100 mpg ( I think at 75 mph)on a Briggs vanguard 18 hp

[ebacherville]

wonder what kind of MPG those powered parachute things get.. at least you could fly from point a to b directly and never stop till you arive..

[atomicradish]

I'm sure you could improve upon the 56 mpg mark with a little EOC

[jamesqf]

Oh, you can do so much better than that. How about a combination of electric and solar/wind power? AE-1 Silent

Launch on the electric motor, then find a thermal and soar as long as you want, using zero fuel. And you can stay up for long periods - I've gone as long as 3 hours or so in a standard air-tow launched sailplane, and could go much longer if there was an on-board restroom :-)

[bgd73]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Oh, you can do so much better than that. How about a combination of electric and solar/wind power? AE-1 Silent

Launch on the electric motor, then find a thermal and soar as long as you want, using zero fuel. And you can stay up for long periods - I've gone as long as 3 hours or so in a standard air-tow launched sailplane, and could go much longer if there was an on-board restroom :-)

I like that idea, better than an inline four trying to fly. I wonder what they did to the fuselage, controls and weight distribution to take on such an idiot wobbly engine. As a former aircraft crew chief, I was shocked when I learned of the first dainty 5 main bearing subaru engines in home made aircraft. That crank can't do a quick roll, 30 below and a few g's...but Anyway,
True flight has brought weirdos, temporarily, in aviation history. Given the times and borderline criminal for invention, I am not surprised anymore to see the photos of an inline diesel in an airplane.
Glide without an engine in my mind, it is peaceful.After recent years, aside form the 120v6 long over due, aviation and automobiles needs a fatherly engineer to set things straight or it will be war..(My truest scariest thought out loud.)