4 ms·
If a notional Canuck Su-35 couldn't do it, probably nothing could. The Su-35 has one of the highest fuel fractions of any military aircraft at about 38% of max
by dingaling 2y ago
If a notional Canuck Su-35 couldn't do it, probably nothing could.
The Su-35 has one of the highest fuel fractions of any military aircraft at about 38% of max take-off weight. That's 9% higher than an F-22 and equates to 11,500kg of fuel.
Just conceptualise 11.5 tonnes of fuel - basically an American yellow school bus being hauled into the air by a fighter than can do Mach 2 and pull 9g.
To be fair though the F-35A has a remarkably high fuel capacity too, about 8,000kg. All that chunkiness has an advantage.
- blackeyeblitzar 2y agoSome quick math… Jet fuel is about 7 pounds a gallon. So we’re talking about something like 4000 gallons. A bus is something 40 feet by 10 feet by 10 feet, which is like 20000 gallons. So it’s about a fifth of a school bus. Still a lot, though!
- adwn 2y agoI think dingaling meant "an American yellow school bus in mass", not in volume. 11,500 kg sounds about right for a bus that size.