Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
Humm... Piper Cherokee 180, weight 1230 lbs empty, 2400 max, fuel consumption 8-10 gph. Boeing 747, weigh 128,700 lbs empty, 255,000 max, fuel consumption ~3600 gph (or about the weight of 10 Cherokees).
So yes, I think it's fair to say that heavier aircraft burn more fuel :-)
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The Cherokee cruises at 124 kts compared to the 740 at 573 kts. We haven't held enough variables constant to make a comparison.
... and the 747 is ~100x heavier, not 10x.
Economies of scale generally favor larger machines. It would take more fuel to carry the same payload as the 747 using a fleet of Cherokees.