Best useful load worst fuel burn

[AdamZ]

Talk about useful load and fuel burn; I just saw a news piece on the Shuttle. The 747 that is transporting it back to Florida from Calif will take several days to get there because it has to make so many fuel stops. Apparenty they had to load the cargo hold with 6000 pounds of gravel to balance out the shuttle sitting on top of the plane. As for fuel burn for every gallon of fuel the 747 bunrs it only flies 261 FEET. OUCH!

 

[silver-eagle]

It also takes a day to move the shuttle. I think I heard it needs 6 fuel stops enroute.

 

[AdamZ]

So then they have to stay below FL230

 

[igottafly]

So then they have to stay below FL230

might be a dumb question, but what does fl 230 have to do with any thing?

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

How do they get the shuttle on top of the 747 anyways?

 

[fgcason]

How do they get the shuttle on top of the 747 anyways?

With the biggest engine hoist they could build:

http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Newsroom/FactSheets/FS-014-DFRC.html

I guess dropping it would be considered really poor form.

 

[AdamZ]

might be a dumb question, but what does fl 230 have to do with any thing?

Brain Fart I meant to say FL 180 where class A starts I was reading a document while typing the post and had highlighted a footnote for Pg. 23 Man I need some rest. Doh!

 

[SkyHog]

I was wondering about FL230 also, but didn't want to admit that I didn't know something I should.

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

Benedryl works good for sleeping Adam. Get some rest.

 

[fgcason]

I wonder if they get flight following...

They go one better: They have an escort plane flying ahead of them to warn them about weather, turbulence, etc.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

According to the NASA Return to Flight website the ferry flight is made at 15,000 feet, so it probably is VFR.

Naah, that'd be at 15.5.

But seriously, why would they fly at 15K? That's an awfully inefficient altitude for a jet isn't it? Does the shuttle add so much weight/drag that it's tough to go much higher?