Inspired by this recent question here is a variation.
- Three identical aeroplanes are based on an island with one airport.
- Each plane can take fuel to get less than halfway around the world.
- Fuel can be transferred between planes in flight instantaneously.
- Planes are also fuelled instantaneously at the airport on the island.
- The speed of all planes and their rate of fuel consumption is constant.
What is the minimum size of fuel tank that will allow one plane to circumnavigate the world, in units of fraction of the earth that can be covered by the plane.
