Aviation fuel

Aviation Fuel is fuel used in the engines of aircraft.

Aviation fuel comes in two distinctive varieties, AvGas for piston-engined aircraft and JetGas for jet-engined aircraft. Because of the danger of confusing the fuel types (particularly in the multilingual environment of international flight), a number of precautions are taken to distinguish the two. AvGas is clearly marked as such on all containers, and is dispensed from red nozzles with a diameter of 40 millimeters (49 millimeters in the USA). The aperture on fuel tanks of piston-engined aircraft cannot be greater than 60 millimeters in diameter. Nozzles dispensing JetGas are larger than 60 millimeters in diameter.

Aviation fuel is generally of higher quality than fuels used in less critical applications such as heating or road transport. In many countries, fuel used for aviation is also subject to different taxation schemes.

AvGas

See AvGas

JetGas

Commercial JetGas is categorised as JET A-1 (by far the most commonly used), JET A (US only) and JET B (for use in cold climates). All are kerosene based fuels with a number of additives:

• Tetra-ethyl lead (TEL) to increase the fuels flash-point
• Anti-oxidants to prevent gumming
• Static dissipating agents
• Corrosion inhibitors
• Anti-icing agents
• Biocide additives

A variety of specialised military grades of JetGas also exist.

See also

• Rocket fuel

External links

• History of Jet Fuel