Private jets and speed

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@sweeteviljesus

I saw a program that said that one of the killers of the Concorde was its inability to carry much cargo beyond passengers’ luggage. They implied that what makes passenger travel profitable is that they shuttle cargo around as well. Is this true?

Thanks,
Rob

Yup. Something like two thirds of all air freight, IIRC.

[Quartz]

@Quartz

Given the Second Amendment, why shouldn’t the plane be armed?

If a story I’ve just read is correct, I’ve just learned that Americans can have fully-armed planes. They have to register as collectors and get permits from the ATF. Through what hoops they have to jump was not detailed, but elsewhere in the story the protagonist is noted as ex-military which may have some bearing.

Story link (site is NSFW) http: // REMOVEwww.asstr.org/~osteele/world/prologue.html

@Cited story

I also thought one day about those guns. I’d be in pretty wild areas at times. It was stupid, I realized, to think I’d fight my way out of trouble with 50 calibers, but it did make me feel better. So I applied for permits to the ATF. Yeah, I know, it ought to be the FAA, but ATF handles permits for machine guns. I registered as a collector, bought six 50 caliber guns and ammo, and had them installed.

Correct or author’s license?

[Timz]

@Asimovian

A simple question, really. If you had unlimited funds and you wanted to fly from, say, Los Angeles to London, would it be faster to buy a ticket on a commercial airline*, or would chartering a private jet get you there sooner?

Dunno if it was a simple question in 2008, but in 2025 it is. The fastest Gulfstream will beat any airline flight. It has the range to make the trip nonstop, even with the greater fuel burn at its high speed cruise.

[JKellyMap]

That’s incredible — but you’re right. The Gulfstream G700 has a range of 8,000 miles. Wowza.

[JKellyMap]

(And, I see the G700 is five feet longer than the original DC-9. Crazy!)

[wolfpup]

@Timz

Dunno if it was a simple question in 2008, but in 2025 it is. The fastest Gulfstream will beat any airline flight.

True, and it’s not just Gulfstreams – most high-end business jets will outspeed typical airliners.

For instance, the Boeing 777 frequently used for overseas flights has a typical cruise speed of 487 knots (560 mph).

The Gulfstream G650, G700, and G800 typically cruise at about 516 kn (594 mph).

And that’s nothing compared to the new Dassault Falcon 10X, cruising at 531 kn (611 mph). Even better, the “ultra high speed cruise” mode of the Bombardier Global 8000 is Mach 0.92 (top speed Mach 0.94) and it has gone supersonic in flight testing.

[Llama_Llogophile]

A couple of caveats…

Many of the numbers provided by aircraft manufacturers are not inflated exactly, but they are marketing numbers. Meaning, things like extreme range are often established at low weight and very few passengers or cargo. Same for time to climb and ceiling.

While service ceiling is a validated performance number, it may not be a typical cruising altitude. For example, the bizjet I’m on now has a service ceiling in the low 50s, but the trainers literally laugh when presenting that number to new pilots. Much more typical to cruise in the low 40s and most pilots will never actually see 50,000 feet in my jet.

Same thing with speeds. Many bizjets are capable of relatively high speeds, but they’re usually very inefficient to use in actual practice. All this to say, take the performance numbers with a grain of salt. It’s not that the mission might not be accomplished, but a typical flight profile might not suffice.