European Tribune - Comments - Aviation: outlook is grim at best

Aviation: outlook is grim at best | 32 comments (32 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Ther true cost of energy (4.00 / 2)

I'm sure I read that Branson was planning fleets of tractors (not sure at what airports) to shift the planes from the gate to the take off holding points....

"Any economic unit can emit money. The serious problem is to get it accepted" Hyman Minsky

by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Tue Jun 3rd, 2008 at 05:40:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ther true cost of energy (4.00 / 2)

That's a much better idea. It would be very expensive to add built-in traction, because the torque needed to move a plane is not small, and the extra fuel needed to keep the extra hardware in the air would be traded off against fuel savings.

Tractors solve all of those problems, at the cost of some extra traffic control on the ground and perhaps some extra waiting around.

Airliner tugs were standard issue at airports thirty years ago. I'm not sure why they disappeared.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Tue Jun 3rd, 2008 at 06:44:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ther true cost of energy (none / 1)

They are still used to reverse planes out of parking slots. Don't see why, perhaps with the addition of some power, they can't be used to haul a plane a couple of KM to the take off point or very close to it. (Presumably jet engines also need to be warmed up and may have to be started some way ahead of the take-off point in any case).

"It's a mystery to me - the game commences, For the usual fee - plus expenses, Confidential information - it's in my diary..."

by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Wed Jun 4th, 2008 at 06:40:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Aviation: outlook is grim at best | 32 comments (32 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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