Warbird Information Exchange

OK...NO LAUGHING...
Question about aircraft range.
When an aircraft has a "range" of...say 1500 miles. Does that mean it can go 1500 miles out and 1500 miles back to it's starting point or does it mean it can fly 750 miles out and 750 miles back?

Mudge the ingrunt

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750 out and 700 back.

Range figures are usually optimistic.

Thank you, kindly.

Mudge the educable

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Land of the free because of the brave

In many books I've seen, range often refers to the straight-line distance (also referred to as "ferry range") the airplane can travel, and the out-and-back distance referred to as "combat radius"--often with a set amount of time at combat power built in for the calculation. Most books I've seen aren't very clear about the numbers they use, though, so that's a good question!

Agreed, "Range" is typically how far you can go in a straight line with ZERO WIND. "Combat Radius" is usually how far you can go (again in zero wind), fight for a given amount of time, and come home. This calculation is done differently for bombers and fighters as well as a bomber is expected to come back with little to no warload while a fighter may return with at least some, changing the fuel burn calculations. Same applies for tanker "refueling radius" values. It assumes that a certain amount of the fuel will be offloaded allowing the plane to either orbit longer to fly out further due to the lower amount of fuel required to get back from the refueling orbit.

Depends on the Air Force and what mission...Kamikazes were not expected to return and thus had a bigger combat radius! I too have wondered at posted numbers and scratched...my head! So many variables and different ways to look at it. Like when Lindbergh visited the front in the Pacific and taught fighter jockeys how to lean their mix and get a lot more range out of their AC.

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By definition did Kamikazes have a "combat radius"

Certainly the Kamikaze had a combat radius.

In many instances, Kamikaze returned from missions during which the target could not be located due to poor weather. To do otherwise would have been a waste of their already limited resources to inflict damage on the enemy.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

I like to think of aircraft range in terms of time..... winds can be very capricious... so in cruise a certain power setting gives you a certain fuel flow (with experience you have a good idea what that is)...

For example... the C-49J Southern Cross has 800 gallons on board, fuel burn in cruise gives it 6.6 hours until you are out of gas... subtract your reserve (I like an hour, a bit more than FAA requirements) so range is 5.5 hours max... the B-25 Pacific Prowler has 974 gallons total... giving a cruise of 6.7 hours (it is a lot faster than the Cross<g>).... call it 5.5 also.....

The range numbers as listed are for air miles flown.... combat radius is not quite the 'range'/2.... for combat radius you'd like to have a little loiter fuel, say for a re-attack, a target of opportunity, or using max power for a bit to get out of trouble. In the Jet Fighter business you'd call that extra 'burner time'.... how much time you've got before bingo...

My two cents.... YMMV,
gunny

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Scott 'Gunny' Perdue
www.scottperdue.com