https://jalopnik.com/a-new-ultra-long-range-plane-is-set-to-make-the-longest-1829268502
A huge Airbus A350-900ULR is being delivered to Singapore Airlines today where,
once in service, it will make the longest continuous flight in the world, from
name, considering this beast can cruise for 9,000 nautical miles (or 9,537
miles). The A350-900 is capable of flying further than any other commercial
aircraft, with a maximum flying time of around 20 hours.
The plane will enter service starting October 11, and is the first of seven
aircraft ordered by Singapore Airlines to increase direct travel between
Singapore and Newark, two cities that are quite literally half a world away from
each other. Airbus was able to accomplish this long flight time with just a few
tweaks to the fuel system, allowing the plane to carry 165,000 liters of fuel,
an increase of 24,000 over normal A350 planes. That gives the A350-900 1,600
miles of extra range. Aerodynamic updates also reduced fuel needs for the
A350-900 by 25 percent over other Airbus models.
aerospace engineers. The bigger the plane, the less fuel efficient it is because
needed to haul the extra fuel that will propel the plane farther. The largest
commercial plane in the world, the Airbus A380 Super Jumbo, has 500 seats and
usually scores about 65 miles to the gallon per seat, according to the Wall
Street Journal. Smaller planes are more efficient on longer flights so the
A350-900 comes with a twin-aisle wide body style, with two classes for flyers to
Journal.
The company believes that the roomier aircraft will be comfortable enough for
the nearly day long flights, providing customers a quieter cabin and more space
to stretch and move around.Air inside the cabin is recycled every two minutes to
make flyers more comfortable and cut down on the effects of jet lag, Airbus
but with a 19-hour flight, you might just want to bring a big bottle of Ambien
your hate for humanity, but is perfect if you hate connections more.
to 2013, the airline flew to Newark airport from Shanghai on an Airbus A340-500.
passengers aboard, according to The Guardian. That flight was an 8,900 nautical
mile trip over the North Pole. The flights were eventually canceled due to
revenue losses.
Several plane manufactures are taking up the challenge of long-haul, non-stop
flights, which allowed airlines to serve underserved areas rather than relying
on connecting flights to get people to flyers destination. Right now, the
longest continuous flight crown belongs to the Boeing 777 that runs from New
Zealand to Qatar, a distant of 9,025 miles with 16 to 17 hours of travel. So
far, ultra long flights have been limited by engineering problems. Problems
companies are now over coming with more efficient machines. Fuel is the
second-highest cost airlines face, and getting fuel economy right can mean the
difference between a huge bonus for airline CEOs and a mega-huge bonus.
Of course, less seats in a plane means higher costs of tickets. These flights
are aimed at high-earning business people who are willing to pay for the most
information yet on what exact path the plane will take.
Singapore Airlines also plans to use the plane on its trans-Pacific flights from
Los Angeles and San Francisco to Singapore. The company will take delivery of
six more Ultra Long Range planes in the next year, and plans to ramp up direct
flights to and from the U.S. from 40 to 53 by December, according to CNBC.
*
|
|