How much gas does a 747 use?

Answer 1

Fuel burn in aircraft is generally referred to as pounds per hour or kilograms per hour (depending on where the company that owns the airplane is based). The rule of thumb that I use for a 747-400 fitted with Rolls Royce engines on a long haul flight is 10 to 11 metric tonnes of fuel per hour. That equates to roughly 3650 US Gallons of fuel per hour. At an average speed of 450 knots (no wind) that gives you the highly fuel efficient 0.14 miles per gallon.

Compare that to an American sedan burning 20 miles to the gallon and it seems like a very inefficient number. However, when is the last time you put 400 friends in your car? If you multiply the fuel burn by the passenger load you are getting about 56 miles per gallon per person. Fill your sedan with 4 people and you are getting 80 miles per gallon per person. Now the numbers start to look a lot closer, don't they. Just don't try to drive to Tokyo in your sedan!