Some Fletchers are listed with a range of about 5,500 nautical miles at 15 knots. Differences in fuel storage and more efficient use of boilers and engines are possible explanations for variation in the figures. Repeated construction also gave trial crews more experience with the design. Crews testing successive ships could learn how to obtain better performance from machinery they already understood. These suggestions explain why a single range figure should be used with care; they do not establish one cause for every difference.
Notable Point · 11:16-12:00
Why Fletcher range figures vary
Differences in fuel storage, machinery efficiency, and trial crews' experience may explain the variation in Fletcher range figures.