Fuel usage during attacks?

[KenStuart]

Hi. My first post... please be gentle...

Research question: how much fuel was used during an attack, when compared to cruising, for various kinds of warbirds?

For example, how much fuel did a Dauntless or Val dive bomber use during an attack? What about a B-17? What about a Hellcat either escorting a strike or serving on CAP during a strike?

I'm looking for some definite real-world numbers (rather than aircraft test data, although that would be better than nothing). If a specific plane used X gallons of gas on average to cruise for an hour, what is Y for the gallons used from the start of an attack to the end of it?

If there is a compilation of such data somewhere, that would be most helpful and I'd certainly be grateful for references.

-Ken

 

[BombTaxi]

Hmm, I suspect that attack profile would have a large impact on this. For example, a Boston making a level bombing attack from 12000ft would use less than a Boston attacking from low level after a high-speed, low-level ingress. In the cases you've given, I'm not sure that fuel consumption would increase massively in the 'attack' phase as level bombers would not change speed much between cruise and the IP, while dive bombers would throttle back before diving, so using less fuel than in the cruise. I'm not sure where you would get detailed data from though.

 

[drgondog]

Hi. My first post... please be gentle...

Research question: how much fuel was used during an attack, when compared to cruising, for various kinds of warbirds?

For example, how much fuel did a Dauntless or Val dive bomber use during an attack? What about a B-17? What about a Hellcat either escorting a strike or serving on CAP during a strike?

I'm looking for some definite real-world numbers (rather than aircraft test data, although that would be better than nothing). If a specific plane used X gallons of gas on average to cruise for an hour, what is Y for the gallons used from the start of an attack to the end of it?

If there is a compilation of such data somewhere, that would be most helpful and I'd certainly be grateful for references.

-Ken

I'll give you one 'generality. for the Mustang w/1650-7 at 67" boost and 3000 rpm - approximately 220-240 gallons per hour. It's cruise profile 'depends'. For example - At 18K straight line point a to b the cruise at max lean was near 44 gallons per hour.

Weight, altitude and mission had important influence. Max range?, max loiter? gross weight? altitude different from best cruise altitude (escort)?