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Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 12:39 pm
by GunnerMan
Was wonderin if there was some kind of fuel calculator out there. Im getting tired of trying to fly my big vintage transport props at full fuel and try to get in the air. Today I flew and set my center tanks to 50% and I ran  out so had to do 100 miles on 2 engines :( (cant find the pump to pump ful to all engines from the wing tanks :/. So is there a way to calculate how much ful I need even if I dont know the fuel useage for a particular aircraft? ???

    Thanks,
         Gunner

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 9:27 pm
by Selbio
Hi,

I usually calculate with fs9 flightplanner and then add more for go arounds, taxi time, holding patterns.
For example: When I fly the 767, so I'll calculate how much fuel I'll need with fs9 planner for that specific flight and then I add about 6000lbs of fuel to each tank that way I can land with 12k lbs(max).

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 2:08 pm
by Skittles
There is a section covering this in one of my Computer Pilot Mags. Do you have Excel? If so, I could create a Fuel Planner for you based on the info in the mag. Send me a PM or better yet, e-mail, if you would like me to do that for you.

Additionally, Isn't there a gauge showing fuel flow? I thought even in older planes there was one. If you don't know the fuel flow, you'd be guessing on how much fuel you need. I just don't like guessing.

Joe

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:04 pm
by Skittles
Thought you might find this useful...
Source: http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_an ... /rgFAR.nsf


Federal Aviation Regulation
Part 91 GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT RULES
Subpart B--Flight Rules/ Visual Flight Rules
Sec. 91.151

Fuel requirements for flight in VFR conditions.

(a) No person may begin a flight in an airplane under VFR conditions unless (considering wind and forecast weather conditions) there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising speed--
(1) During the day, to fly after that for at least 30 minutes; or
(2) At night, to fly after that for at least 45 minutes.
(b) No person may begin a flight in a rotorcraft under VFR conditions unless (considering wind and forecast weather conditions) there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising speed, to fly after that for at least 20 minutes.


Sec. 91.167

Fuel requirements for flight in IFR conditions.

(a) No person may operate a civil aircraft in IFR conditions unless it carries enough fuel (considering weather reports and forecasts and weather conditions) to--
(1) Complete the flight to the first airport of intended landing;
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, fly from that airport to the alternate airport; and
(3) Fly after that for 45 minutes at normal cruising speed or, for helicopters, fly after that for 30 minutes at normal cruising speed.
(b) Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply if:
(1) Part 97 of this chapter prescribes a standard instrument approach procedure to, or a special instrument approach procedure has been issued by the Administrator to the operator for, the first airport of intended landing; and
(2) Appropriate weather reports or weather forecasts, or a combination of them, indicate the following:
(i) For aircraft other than helicopters. For at least 1 hour before and for 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival, the ceiling will be at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation and the visibility will be at least 3 statute miles.
(ii) For helicopters. At the estimated time of arrival and for 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival, the ceiling will be at least 1,000 feet above the airport elevation, or at least 400 feet above the lowest applicable approach minima, whichever is higher, and the visibility will be at least 2 statute miles.

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 7:14 pm
by Skittles
I went ahead and created a Flight Fuel Planner, I plan on using it anyway.

I used Excel, If you don't have excel I could send you the formulas I used.

[ftp]http://www.anadrac.com/Flight/FlightFuelPlanner.zip[/ftp]

Maybe I'll even create a simple executable to do this as well.

Joe

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 8:40 pm
by GunnerMan
Well I do not have excell  ::) So I will get the forms and/or the exe  ;D  I will send you a message with my email :)


   Thanks
      GunnerMan

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 11:51 pm
by OTTOL
Ya know.............before computers.........we used to be able to figure this stuff out.
Why don't you top off the tanks.
Climb to your intended cruise altitude.
Pause the sim.
Note the fuel burned thus far.
Un-pause the sim.
Fly for 15minutes.
Pause the sim.
Note the fuel burn.
Mutliply this number times four to establish an hourly rate.
Un-pause the sim.
Return to the airport.
Land the plane.
Note the burn one more time.
Use these numbers to establish:fuel for climb/fuel per-hour/fuel for descent
Back in the old days(I'm only 36)that's how we did it. ::)

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 5:48 am
by Skittles
Well, it gives me something to do.

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 6:45 am
by Fozzer
FS 2002... ;)...!

I have FS Navigator installed which shows the locations of ALL the fuel pumps at all the airfields on my route overland*....

So I load up with sufficient fuel at each airfield, to allow for a good take-off rate, especially at high altitudes, in my piston aircraft, to reach the next airfield contaning  fuel pumps....

...then land at the airfield containg fuel pumps before I run out of fuel... ;D...!

Much more fun, (and more realistic), than clicking on "Unlimited fuel".... ;)...!

Cheers all... ;D...!

Paul.

*Note: this only works for FS 2002....Tee-Hee... ;)...!

http://www.fsnavigator.com

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:15 am
by microlight
Hey Ottol,
That's exactly what I did with my 737 fleet! Used the burn info to adjust the range to published specs for each plane type. Then transferred to the info to Excel which calculates how much fuel I need for a given trip, and which tanks I should fill up to where.  8)

Fozzer,
Couldn't agree more, mate...

;)

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:31 am
by GunnerMan
Well I have alot of aicraft that I kind of fly at random ;) and I dont realy care about the fuel that much to fly each one and record the fuel consumption etc.  ::) So I will stick to Full fuel for now :)

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 12:05 pm
by OTTOL
Hey Ottol,
That's exactly what I did with my 737 fleet! Used the burn info to adjust the range to published specs for each plane type. Then transferred to the info to Excel which calculates how much fuel I need for a given trip, and which tanks I should fill up to where.  8)



;)

I fully understand that you applied good ol' manual mathematics to a computer program. What I was saying is; it doesn't take a computer program to figure it out.
Well I have alot of aicraft that I kind of fly at random  and I dont realy care about the fuel that much to fly each one and record the fuel consumption etc.    So I will stick to Full fuel for now  
Sounds like a "cake and eat it" dilemna to me! ?
Let me get this straight: you're worried about running out of  fuel but not worried enough to do anything about it. ? ?  WHY........ are we still talking about this?  ::)

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 1:49 pm
by Fozzer
[quote]

.....Sounds like a "cake and eat it" dilemma to me! ?
Let me get this straight: you're worried about running out of

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 4:06 am
by Skittles
The VB4 executable file is complete. I don't know how well it will work on WinXp.

For anyone interested...HERE it is.

Re: Fuel Calculator?

PostPosted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 7:34 am
by OTTOL

...makes you wonder... ::)...!
LOL...LOL...LOL... ;D...!

I used to worry about running out of petrol on my bike on the motorways.... :'(...!
...not any more...

I just press the button on my handlebar, labeled:
"Infinite Petrol".... ;D....!

No problems now... 8)...!
LOL..!

Cheers OTTOL... 8)...!

Paul.
 ;D ;D ;D

Can't do that anymore with my bike............

   I replaced my infinite fuel(Uuhhh....petrol!)switch with an aftermarket DO A WHEELIE switch!
:-X  ;D