What fuel did WW1 planes use? New transportation means like trucks, as well as war planes, submarines and tanks, which began to revolutionize warfare between 1914 and 1918, were driven by
oil-based fuel
. By controlling more than 70 percent of the world-wide petroleum production, the Entente powers had a decisive military advantage.
Is jet fuel and kerosene the same?
Jet fuel (Jet A-1, kerosene)
The fuel type is kerosene
. Jet A-1 has a flash point higher than 38°C and a freezing point of -47°C. Jet A is a similar kerosene fuel type that is normally available only in the U.S. After refining, aviation fuel is mixed with extremely small amounts of several additives.
Was the Spitfire fuel injected?
This new carburettor was used from the Merlin 66 series and on all Griffon engines. In these engines
the carburettor injected fuel at 5 psi through a nozzle direct into the supercharger
and the compressed air-fuel mixture was then directed to the cylinders.
Is leaded gas still sold?
After decades of international pressure by a UN group,
leaded gasoline is no longer being produced
. The last leaded fuel has finally disappeared from gas stations. The last country in the world to sell it: Algeria.
Do planes still use leaded fuel?
Aviation gasoline (avgas) is the aviation fuel most commonly used in piston-engine aircraft. Avgas remains the only transportation fuel in the United States to contain lead
more than 222,600 registered piston-engine aircraft can operate on leaded avgas
.
It’s much higher grade, so it costs more
. It’s a specialist fuel made in much less quantities than other fuels, so a premium is added to ensure a profit.
As the war progressed,
both sides began to use aircraft to drop bombs on strategic enemy locations
. The first planes used for bombings could only carry small bombs and were very vulnerable to attack from the ground.
Premium (the highest octane fuel–generally
91–94
)
Aviation kerosene has a freezing point of -47 °C. Planes fly at extremely high altitudes, which means they spend a lot of airtime in sub-zero temperatures. As a result,
planes need to use fuel with a low freezing point
– like kerosene – so the fuel functions properly without solidifying during the flight.
A fraction of kerosene formed during the process of distillation of crude oil
is called white petrol. It is a clear and thin form of petroleum oil that contains general hydrocarbons. It is used in aeroplanes and space jets and hence, it is also called aircraft fuel.
The final development, which was fitted to the 100-series Merlins, was an S.U. injection carburettor that injected fuel into the supercharger
using a fuel pump driven as a function of crankshaft speed and engine pressures.
About the Gliding Scene – Spitfire planes could glide for
15 miles
.
Older cars can run on unleaded gas
, but avoid ethanol.
Regular leaded is
88 octane
. All new cars sold in the U.S. since the 1975 model year have a catalytic converter, which substantially cuts exhaust pollutants. Lead destroys the converter, and the emissions harm the air.
Using leaded avgas in a modern car would ruin components such as the catalytic converter
. Conversely, Jet-A wouldn’t work in a gas engine. It would be like putting diesel fuel in your gas-powered car, it just won’t run.
Diesel fuel has an octane rating of 25-40
. Mixing 2% diesel fuel into gasoline will lower the overall octane rating by 1 point. Getting 10% diesel contamination lowers octane by 5 points, which is enough to create problems in most engines.
The short answer is that, under most conditions, the shelf life of avgas is about
one year
.
First World War aircra cockpits were open to the elements and cold winds tended to blow down the neck of pilots’ coats. Rather than wearing a high leather collar to stop the wind, which restricted movement and vision, a pilot would use the silk scarf
to plug the gaps around his neck and keep his body warm
.
Results of Gas at Ypres
At Ypres, Belgium, the Germans had transported liquid chlorine gas to the front in large metal canisters. With the wind blowing over the French and Canadian lines on 22 April, they released the gas, which cooled to a liquid and drifted over the battlefield in a lethal, green-yellow cloud.
