Fuel Efficiency

[Jesse]

"Ross McCurdy and Thierry Staint Loup set a world record aviation fuel efficiency with an 848-mile triangular flight in a Cessna 182 using only 56 gallons of fuel, which works out to 15.1 nautical miles per gallon. The fuel used was a 50-50 mix of jet aviation fuel and biofuel."

A world record? Really?! I did better than that on a regular basis in our RV-10. What am I missing?

[ChiefPilot]

Originally Posted by Jesse

"Ross McCurdy and Thierry Staint Loup set a world record aviation fuel efficiency with an 848-mile triangular flight in a Cessna 182 using only 56 gallons of fuel, which works out to 15.1 nautical miles per gallon. The fuel used was a 50-50 mix of jet aviation fuel and biofuel."

A world record? Really?! I did better than that on a regular basis in our RV-10. What am I missing?

Not very impressive, certainly, unless you start to box it in with caveats. Biofuel, certified airframe, diesel engine, etc.

[Auburntsts]

No kidding. I saw that this past week on a trip out to Omaha with basically no wind (it was a crosswind). Coming back I had a screaming 40+ knot tailwind and saw 204 kts GS (160KTS TAS @ 11.3 gph) that was giving me over me 20mpg at times.

[Mark Albery]

It looks like the record had not been claimed before in Class C1C (Combustion engines 1000-1750kg TOW).

So they could have done anything and still claimed the record. From the FAI site:


SUB-CLASS TYPE OF RECORD PERFORMANCE DATE CLAIMANT STATUS ID
C-1c Aeroplane Efficiency - 1 : internal combustion engine 9 km/kg 2016-07-12 Thierry Saint Loup (USA) preliminary record claim received 17886

[bkthomps]

i beat 15.1nm/g every trip I take

what do I need to do to compete officially here?

[BobTurner]

I'm more curious about the fuel. Since jet fuel's octane rating is very low, the bio-fuel's must be very high, or else they did something else to supression detonation.

[Mark Albery]

It's an SMA diesel conversion.

Yes, you can compete for the record, but the cost of all the invigilation and paperwork is the main deterrent. The C1a and C1b efficiency records are more like 30km/kg (I think a Sonerai holds one of them).

[jrs14855]

Klaus Savier went nonstop from Santa Paula to an airport near Lakeland.
8.7 hours
252 statute average speed
36 miles per gallon average
40 mpg in cruise
Does anyone remember what Dick Rutan's mpg was on the Anchorage to Grand Turk flight. That record still stands last time I checked.
Klaus's flight was apparently not a record attempt.

[N661DJ]

On a recent trip from Vermont to Florida in my 180HP RV8:
6500'- (19.4"mp x 2250RPM = 54%power) Fuel burn= 7.1 gph, 24.2 mpg.
TAS 150K, GS 153K, tail wind=3K part of the way.
Departed Highgate VT, KFSO, 60 nm south of Montreal CA.
1150 nm total, one stop in Richmond VA, arrived KGIF Winter Haven, FL
7.5 hrs flight time total.
Dick

[RVbySDI]

Originally Posted by N661DJ

Departed Highgate VT, KFSO, 60 nm south of Montreal CA.

WOW! I am reading under the assumption VT is Vermont and CA is California. If so, I guess I didn't realize Vermont was only 60 nm from California. Awww, but then again, I guess I should think international. In which case I guess you are referring to Canada.