For an airplane consuming 95 pounds of fuel per hour at 6,500 feet cruising altitude and ground speed of 173 knots, how much fuel is needed to travel 450 NM?

To determine how much fuel is needed to travel 450 nautical miles (NM) at a cruising altitude of 6,500 feet and a ground speed of 173 knots, we first need to calculate the time required to cover that distance.

The formula to find the time in hours when given distance and speed is:

Time (hours) = Distance (NM) / Ground Speed (knots)

Substituting the values:

Time = 450 NM / 173 knots ≈ 2.60 hours

Now that we have the time, we can calculate the total fuel consumption using the fuel consumption rate. The airplane consumes 95 pounds of fuel per hour.

Total Fuel Needed (pounds) = Fuel Consumption Rate (pounds/hour) × Time (hours)

Substituting the values:

Total Fuel Needed = 95 pounds/hour × 2.60 hours ≈ 247 pounds

The closest option to this calculation is 248 pounds, which is the correct answer. It is important to perform these calculations accurately to ensure that the fuel on board is adequate for the planned trip, which is essential for safety and operational efficiency.