Which is more fuel efficient, Car vs Plane

keithclancy

Didn't know whether to put this one into the Aviation or Motors Forum.

We were in work and discussing which is more fuel efficient per head, a car or an Aeroplane.

The rules are:
Plane is a Boeing 737-800 with Winglets.
vs
A Brand new VW Passat 2.0TDI

Plane flying with a full load of people and luggage, no wind as such from Cork - Dublin.

Five people driving in the Car
177 People on the Aeroplane.

Which is more fuel efficient per person driving from Cork Airport to Dublin Airport.

We had a chat about it, googled it and found this:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=48121

A Dutch couple have split up after an argument over the fuel
consumption of an aeroplane.

To prevent further rows, Hendrik Baas, a spokesman for Dutch airline
firm, KLM told Ananova that figures for the fuel consumption of
airplanes are influenced by the age of the machines, the motors,
distance, the height, the weather and the number of passengers, but
the average is about 3,200 litres of kerosene per hour.

We left it at that but we couldn't really work it out at all.

Any ideas what the MPG/Person with a full load on each ?

Anan1

Right, let's make it simple & approximate. A plane uses 3200l/hour, divided by 177 people = 18.079l/person, which is 90.4l/hour for 5 people. Let's say the plane is doing 800km/h, so we'll divide that figure by 8 to bring us to 100km/h, the speed i've chosen for the Passat. Our final figure is 11.3l/100kms, so if the Passat can beat that (which it can) then it's more economical.

Mr Benevolent

A large aircraft (A330/777 and up) is generally more efficient than a car per seat mile. In terms of actual MPG an A380 will get about 0.12 mpg.

Thoie

Alternatively, a plane uses 3200 litres in an hour. It's about half an hour to Cork = 1600 litres. Divided by 177 passenger = 9 litres each.

A Passat's fuel tank is about 70 litres, and you'll go through about 3/4 of a tank on a Cork to Dublin trip. Say 50 litres. That comes out as 10 litres per person.

Given that you might spend a bit of time foostering around in the plane, or you might drive the Passat more economically, I reckon it balances out and they come to about the same.

Anan1

I don't see a Passat TDI needing anything like 50 litres of diesel to drive from Dublin to Cork.

hidinginthebush

Anan1 wrote: »

Right, let's make it simple & approximate. A plane uses 3200l/hour, divided by 177 people = 18.079l/person, which is 90.4l/hour for 5 people. Let's say the plane is doing 800km/h, so we'll divide that figure by 8 to bring us to 100km/h, the speed i've chosen for the Passat. Our final figure is 11.3l/100kms, so if the Passat can beat that (which it can) then it's more economical.

I'd wager a fully laden 737 wouldn't stay airbourne at 100km/h, and that the fuel economy would be different at that speed than in full flight.

Though if I could continue on your line of thought:

Plane:
3200 L/h for 177 people => 18.079 L/h/person, which will bring a person 800 km (assuming an airspeed of 800km/h). This means for 5 people (a full car load), 90.395 litres of fuel are required.

This gives a efficency of 800 km / 90.395 l, or 8.85 km/l. Which in miles per gallon is 25 mpg (imperial) or 20.82 (US).

So the car is more efficient (cars have higher mpg than that don't they?). The plane's a lot faster thoguh.

robbie99

But aviation fuel is much cheaper than Diesel as it doesn't have excise duty.

MugMugs

You're comparing a GIANT bus against a car. How can that compete ?

Split it to a five seater prop and see what you get.

Cuddlesworth

Airplane uses a huge amount of its fuel resources taking off, climbing to full height and landing. The rest is the equivalent of idling. So for a short haul flight like Cork to Dublin, you would need to bump up the average fuel economy. Its like city driving for a plane.

Tea 1000

Dublin to Cork it wouldn't surprise me alright that the car is more efficient. Paris to Rome would be a different ball game though, given that the take-off and landing run is not as big of a percentage.
We need some pilots from the Aircraft and Aviation forum over here to tell us how many kgs of fuel they'd use on that trip!

mossy2390

or if you look at concord its engines were one of the most efficient engines in the world at super sonic speeds
and one of the least efficient at subsonic speeds

pajo1981

hidinginthebush wrote: »

I'd wager a fully laden 737 wouldn't stay airbourne at 100km/h, and that the fuel economy would be different at that speed than in full flight.

Though if I could continue on your line of thought:

Plane:
3200 L/h for 177 people => 18.079 L/h/person, which will bring a person 800 km (assuming an airspeed of 800km/h). This means for 5 people (a full car load), 90.395 litres of fuel are required.

This gives a efficency of 800 km / 90.395 l, or 8.85 km/l. Which in miles per gallon is 25 mpg (imperial) or 20.82 (US).

So the car is more efficient (cars have higher mpg than that don't they?). The plane's a lot faster thoguh.

If you use average car/plane occupancies, you'll see that the plane just tips it.

MugMugs

mossy2390 wrote: »

or if you look at concord its engines were one of the most efficient engines in the world at super sonic speeds
and one of the least efficient at subsonic speeds

And look how that ended !

mossy2390

MugMugs wrote: »

And look how that ended !

meh accidents happen.

For Forks Sake

Thoie wrote: »

A Passat's fuel tank is about 70 litres, and you'll go through about 3/4 of a tank on a Cork to Dublin trip.

You going via Donegal or something?

Thoie

For Forks Sake wrote: »

You going via Donegal or something?

What other way is there?