Embedded Files
When we talk about transcontinental flight we usually refer to a flight between an airport on the West Coast of the United States or Canada, and an airport on the East Coast of the United States or Canada.
You need to figure out which plane will get you from Los Angeles Airport (KLAX) in California to John F. Kennedy Airport (KJFK) in New York the fastest! That's a total distance of 2475 standard miles.
To figure out the average speed each plane flies, you need to divide total miles flown by the total time it took to fly that distance.
average speed = total miles/total time in hours
Each of the planes below set aviation records. You need to use information about those records to decide which one will get there first. Read the information below and use that flight information to figure out which plane will get you to New York City first.
Do not worry about the range any of these planes can fly without refueling. We are not including refueling stops in this race!
How will you figure minutes into your calculations?
Lockheed 5C Vega "Winnie Mae"
Lockheed 5C Vega "Winnie Mae"
In 1935 Wiley Post flew the Lockheed 5C Vega "Winnie Mae" from Los Angeles to Cleveland in 7 hours 19 minutes. LA-Cleveland is a distance of 2,035 miles
What was Winnie Mae's average speed for this trip?
Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis"
Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis"
In 1927 Charles Lindbergh flew this aircraft from San Diego to New York on May 10-12, making only one stop, at St. Louis. During the first leg of the flight he covered the 1,500 miles to St. Louis in 14 hours and 25 minutes. His complete flight took 21 hours, 40 minutes and set a new transcontinental record.
What was The Spirit of St. Louis's average speed for the first leg of the trip?
Lockheed 5B Vega "Little Red Bus"
Lockheed 5B Vega "Little Red Bus"
On August 24-25, 1932 Amelia Earhart made the first solo, nonstop flight by a woman across the United States, from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey. The flight covered a distance of 2,447 miles and lasted about 19 hours.
What was the Little Red Bus's average speed for this trip?
Hughes 1B (H-1)
Hughes 1B (H-1)
On January 19, 1937, Howard Hughes flew 2,490 miles from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in 7 hours, 28 minutes, and 25 seconds.
What was Hughes H-1's average speed for this trip?
Which plane do you think will get you to New York City first?
Which plane do you think will get you to New York City first?
Click the button to see if you are right!
Click the button to see if you are right!
Go back to the challenge home page here.
Page updated
Report abuse