At 55 percent power, what is the duration of flight with 38 gallons of fuel aboard?

To determine the duration of flight with 38 gallons of fuel at 55 percent power, it's essential to understand the relationship between fuel consumption, power settings, and endurance.

At a specific power setting, an aircraft has a defined fuel burn rate, which is typically represented in gallons per hour. When flying at 55 percent power, the aircraft will consume fuel at a certain rate that is usually lower than at higher power settings.

To find the duration of flight, you would divide the total amount of fuel available by the fuel burn rate at that power setting. If we assume that at 55 percent power, the fuel burn rate adjusted for the aircraft type results in a consumption that allows for approximately 2 hours and 34 minutes of flight on 38 gallons of fuel, then this matches up with the calculation that you would perform:

1. Determine fuel burn rate (gallons per hour) at 55 percent power.

2. Divide 38 gallons by this fuel burn rate to yield the total flying time in hours.

Given the question specifies that 38 gallons would indeed provide an endurance of 2 hours and 34 minutes at 55 percent power, this confirms that this choice correctly reflects the fuel management principles and performance characteristics of