A340 Mach Number?

I would think the VC10 or the Convair 880.

Which is/was the fasted commercial other than Concorde? I heard the Tridents were pretty quick.

A342 & A343 typically M.82, A346 & A346 typically M.83

Perhaps it’s time to look at this old chestnut from a different perspective. The original 747 cruied at M.85 yet flew in an era dominated by VC10’s, etc cruising at unything up to M.92. Those VC10 pilots must have been pretty peeved with the slow jumbos holding them up! Seriously though, as time has gone on air travel has got slower to the point where the average commercial aircraft (B737NG, A320, B767, A300, etc) tours the skies at a typical M.79. The problem is that the modern long haul aircraft including the A340 are significantly faster than the average.

My personal approach to the choice of cruise speed has also changed as of late. I the estimated time of arrival is before the schedule time I’d rather slow down (saves the company some fuel in this expensive time) and burn up some more duty time so that I hit my annual target in less overall duties! Going at warp speed is a mugs game!

What’s the problem, can’t the other aircraft dive under or hop over the slow aircraft 1000 feet above or below?
The FMC in Boeing has a view that says the most economical cruise altitude. Sometimes 747-400’s also cruise at .865, not very sure about that.
For example, a fully loaded 747-400 won’t get any higher than FL 330 with a normal thrust setting. The aircraft would finally start descanding at FL390 for example.
Is it true that long range aircraft climb higher every two hour or so when traffic/ATC allows it? Those FMC’s are damn advanced. Very ingenious. I can program the FMC partly, I have PSS 747-400. Not all functions are included tough.

You’ve one-upped me Bhoy. I just gave a brief summary, and you went all out. Good job. By the way, I downloaded the Star timetable per your recommendation, and I approve greatly. The UA one that I’ve had all along, is the same format.

don’t know how long it takes them to refuel, but according to the Star downloadable timetable, SQ12 [the 747-400 routing SIN-NRT-LAX] lands Narita at 5:35pm, and leaves at 6:45pm. SQ30 [the 777-200 routing SIN-TPE-LAX] lands Taipei 9:45pm, and leaves at 10:55pm.

Similarly, on the return legs, SQ11 arrives NRT 6pm, and departs 7:10pm, while SQ29 arrives TPE 6am and departs 7:10am

(the full schedule from LAX to SIN being:

SQ29 departs LAX 1:10am arrives SIN 11:30am+ 777-200 1 stop [19h 25]
SQ11 departs LAX 2:40pm arrives SIN 1:05am ++ 747-400 1 stop [19h 25]
SQ19 departs LAX 9:20pm arrives SIN 6:35am ++ 340-500 nonstop [18h 15]

and SIN to LAX:

SQ12 departs SIN 9:45am arrives LAX 12:50pm 747-400 1 stop [18h 05]
SQ20 departs SIN 4pm arrives LAX 5:30pm 340-500 nonstop [16h 30]
SQ30 departs SIN 5:10pm arrives LAX 8:30pm 777-200 1 stop [18h 20]

(I did notice that the (SQ) non-stop service from LAX to SIN is only a little shorter than the current 747 service with stop-over in HKG.)

They don’t stop in HKG en route to LAX, they stop there on one of their 2 SFO flights. SQ12 via NRT takes 1:35 longer than the non-stop(SQ20) and SQ30 via TPE takes 1:50 longer than the non-stop. These times are factoring in the layovers, to which each must be at least an hour in length (how long does it take to fully fuel a 744 for a sector of about 11 hours?).

http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRTypen/FRA34050.htm
A345 is apparently 0.83

Never seen it above .82

I think the A340 cruises at around mach 0.83, versus the 744 at 0.85.