Could someone (private owner, perhaps?) take an airplane such as a 773 (non-ER, RR engines) or MD-11 or A333 and (theoretically or realistically) add auxiliary fuel tanks to get it configured at 11,000 nmi of range?

Yes, just get the engineering for the STC for aux tanks approved; do the mods and Bob’s your uncle. Is it worth? Maybe, maybe not. The 737 BBJ is an example of a factory installed mod to increase range.

GF

The 73G BBJ is an excellent long range corporate jet, one of the best out there. I believe Boeing will also build you a 77W BBJ. Not sure about the 787-10.

Suggest you Google PATS aux tanks. There is a lot of information there. You might also check SFAR 88 to see some of the unique requirements that are associated with these systems. Not sure about the various systems available for the 787 series as the airplane has pretty good legs to begin with. Sometimes it make better sense to make that technical stop than drag around all that extra weight associated with an aux tank installation.

Didn't Thai and Singapore Air once do something like this with A340s? Removed seats and added tanks so they could fly from LAX or EWR non-stop to BKK and SIN?

I've always heard a KC-10 can go for a while.

CWizard wrote:

Didn't Thai and Singapore Air once do something like this with A340s? Removed seats and added tanks so they could fly from LAX or EWR non-stop to BKK and SIN?

Don't think so. At least with Singapore, they had the A340s as all business class, much like British Airways with their A318s out of London City to New York.

AirKevin wrote:

CWizard wrote:

Didn't Thai and Singapore Air once do something like this with A340s? Removed seats and added tanks so they could fly from LAX or EWR non-stop to BKK and SIN?

Don't think so. At least with Singapore, they had the A340s as all business class, much like British Airways with their A318s out of London City to New York.

You can get a lot of range just by severely limiting payload. Even an A330 has a fuel capacity of around 109 tons, meaning that on full tanks it can fly around 17 hours.

Starlionblue wrote:

You can get a lot of range just by severely limiting payload. Even an A330 has a fuel capacity of around 109 tons, meaning that on full tanks it can fly around 17 hours.

Part of the reason is A330 shares the same fuselage as A340, hence the more-than-necessary fuel volume. Had it been designed as an mid-range aircraft since day 1, it wouldn't had that much of capacity.

Starlionblue wrote:

AirKevin wrote:

CWizard wrote:

Didn't Thai and Singapore Air once do something like this with A340s? Removed seats and added tanks so they could fly from LAX or EWR non-stop to BKK and SIN?

Don't think so. At least with Singapore, they had the A340s as all business class, much like British Airways with their A318s out of London City to New York.

You can get a lot of range just by severely limiting payload. Even an A330 has a fuel capacity of around 109 tons, meaning that on full tanks it can fly around 17 hours.

Right. I just don't think they added additional tanks to do what they did.

BBJ777X wrote:

Starlionblue wrote:

You can get a lot of range just by severely limiting payload. Even an A330 has a fuel capacity of around 109 tons, meaning that on full tanks it can fly around 17 hours.

Part of the reason is A330 shares the same fuselage as A340, hence the more-than-necessary fuel volume. Had it been designed as an mid-range aircraft since day 1, it wouldn't had that much of capacity.

Makes sense. This is probably why many A330s don't have the center tank, giving a capacity of 76 tons. More than enough for the typical mission.

Florianopolis wrote:

I've always heard a KC-10 can go for a while.

Hell I guess! It's alr0eady a DC10-30 and a flying Fuel Tank! Yes I'd say it can go QUITE A WHILE!!

strfyr51 wrote:

Florianopolis wrote:

I've always heard a KC-10 can go for a while.

Hell I guess! It's alr0eady a DC10-30 and a flying Fuel Tank! Yes I'd say it can go QUITE A WHILE!!

r/TechnicallyTheTruth

AirKevin wrote:

Starlionblue wrote:

AirKevin wrote:

Don't think so. At least with Singapore, they had the A340s as all business class, much like British Airways with their A318s out of London City to New York.

You can get a lot of range just by severely limiting payload. Even an A330 has a fuel capacity of around 109 tons, meaning that on full tanks it can fly around 17 hours.

Right. I just don't think they added additional tanks to do what they did.

The A345 has a second center tank section that the 346 does not, basically trading payload capability for range, but that was not a one-off.