Range Of Aircraft Calculator

Work out range of aircraft instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Range Of Aircraft Calculator

Range is endurance multiplied by ground speed. Because endurance depends only on fuel and burn rate, wind changes range without changing how long you can stay airborne — a 15 knot headwind on a 135 knot aircraft costs about 11% of the distance.

Formula

Range

Range = (usable fuel / burn per hour) x (TAS - headwind)

Worked example

With the default values below, Range Of Aircraft Calculator returns Still-air-equivalent range with wind of 714.29. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Usable fuel: 250 L
Fuel burn per hour: 42 per hour
True airspeed: 135 kt
Headwind component: 15 kt

Results

Still-air-equivalent range with wind: 714.29 nm
Still-air range: 803.57 nm
Endurance: 5.95 h
Ground speed: 120.00 kt

Step by step

1Values used
2Range
3Still-air-equivalent range with wind= 714.29 nm
4Still-air range= 803.57 nm
5Endurance= 5.95 h
6Ground speed= 120.00 kt

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Aviation results are planning estimates only. Always verify take-off, landing, fuel, weight and balance figures against the certified Aircraft Flight Manual, current performance charts and applicable aviation regulations before flight.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Aviation results are planning estimates only. Always verify take-off, landing, fuel, weight and balance figures against the certified Aircraft Flight Manual, current performance charts and applicable aviation regulations before flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is range not simply fuel times miles per litre?

Because specific air range varies with weight, altitude and speed. Working through endurance and ground speed keeps the wind effect explicit.

Does flying faster increase range?

Only up to the best-range speed. Beyond it, drag rises faster than the speed gain, so range falls even though the trip is quicker.