# aircraft fuel consumption tables

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-fuel-consumption-tables/411480>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 12, 2007, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-fuel-consumption-tables/411480 "2007-07-12T10:14:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-fuel-consumption-tables/411480/1 "2007-07-12T10:14:25Z")

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Is there a convenient web site or publication that anyone knows of that lists various general aviation aircraft and their fuel consumption (at cruising speed if possible)?

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**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-fuel-consumption-tables/411480/2 "2007-07-12T10:48:30Z")

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I don’t know if there is a website, but such figures are found in pilot operating handbooks/airplane manuals.

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-fuel-consumption-tables/411480/3 "2007-07-12T12:32:08Z")

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Or in magazine reviews.

But I haven’t seen many places where you can compare airplanes.

Brian

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**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-fuel-consumption-tables/411480/4 "2007-07-12T13:16:59Z")

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Fuel tables are usually compiled by the airline’s performance engineering department and updated for various conditions on a regular basis.

For a more generalized study you might be interested in this like (warning - PDF):

[http://www.transportenvironment.org/docs/Publications/2005pubs/2005-12\_nlr\_aviation\_fuel\_efficiency.pdf](http://www.transportenvironment.org/docs/Publications/2005pubs/2005-12_nlr_aviation_fuel_efficiency.pdf)

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-fuel-consumption-tables/411480/5 "2007-07-12T13:18:24Z")

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Flying magazines almost always have a few of them per issue. However, you don’t get to pick which ones they reviewed. As noted, operating manuals always have very detailed information like this.

Which ones are you interested in?

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**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-fuel-consumption-tables/411480/6 "2007-07-12T15:02:21Z")

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Fuel usage calculations can be really hard to get right. I just finished reading a book on the Black Buck bombing raid during the Falklands war - staged from Ascension Island and using a fleet of Victor tankers to get 1 Vulcan bomber on target and back again.

The first mission was very nearly a disaster because the fuel use tables were not accurate enough for such a long mission, and both the Vulcan and the final staging Victor were extremely short of fuel at multiple stages of the mission.

Si