{
  "slug": "aircraft-fuel-burn",
  "title": "Aircraft Fuel Burn & Endurance Calculator",
  "heading": "Aircraft Fuel Burn & Endurance Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/aircraft-fuel-burn",
  "summary": "Endurance, range, and reserve check for a flight.",
  "description": "Enter usable fuel and burn rate to get endurance, still-air range, and whether you keep legal VFR reserves.",
  "formula": null,
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=aircraft-fuel-burn",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "usable",
      "label": "Usable fuel",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 48,
      "unit": "gal",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "burn",
      "label": "Fuel burn",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8.5,
      "unit": "gph",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "tas",
      "label": "True airspeed",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 115,
      "unit": "kts",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "wind",
      "label": "Headwind (−) / tailwind (+)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": -10,
      "unit": "kts",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "reserve",
      "label": "Reserve required",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 45,
      "unit": "min",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "legRange",
      "label": "Range with reserve (nm)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "endurance",
      "label": "Total endurance (hrs)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "usableAfter",
      "label": "Hours after reserve",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "gs",
      "label": "Ground speed (kts)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Usable fuel: 48 gal",
      "Fuel burn: 8.5 gph",
      "True airspeed: 115 kts",
      "Headwind (−) / tailwind (+): -10 kts",
      "Reserve required: 45 min"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Range with reserve (nm): 514",
      "Total endurance (hrs): 5.65",
      "Hours after reserve: 4.9",
      "Ground speed (kts): 105"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter usable fuel (gal).",
      "Enter fuel burn (gph).",
      "Enter true airspeed (kts).",
      "Enter headwind (−) / tailwind (+) (kts).",
      "Enter reserve required (min).",
      "Read your range with reserve (nm) on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "usable": 29,
        "burn": 5.1,
        "tas": 69,
        "wind": -6,
        "reserve": 25
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "usable": 48,
        "burn": 8.5,
        "tas": 115,
        "wind": -10,
        "reserve": 45
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "usable": 77,
        "burn": 13.600000000000001,
        "tas": 184,
        "wind": -16,
        "reserve": 70
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the aircraft fuel burn & endurance calculator work?",
      "a": "Enter usable fuel and burn rate to get endurance, still-air range, and whether you keep legal VFR reserves."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "5 values: usable fuel, fuel burn, true airspeed, headwind (−) / tailwind (+), and reserve required. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the range with reserve (nm) result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a decimal number and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone doing everyday planning maths — a quick estimate that would otherwise need four browser tabs and a calculator app."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/aircraft-weight-balance",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/density-altitude"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Aircraft Fuel Burn & Endurance Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/aircraft-fuel-burn)"
}