Allied 150 Octane AVGAS question

[Crumpp]

Who used it and when did it come out?

Crumpp

[Angus]

You mean the 150 oct?
Widely used late war I belive,and I think I have a document somewhere about the availability at a certain timeframe.
MiloMoray has all the data, if my memory serves me.

[Crumpp]

Hey Bro!

Yes, I mean 150oct.

Was it strictly an RAF fuel?

Crumpp

[Nashwan]

Neil Sterling has most of the data, as does Mike Williams, both post here occasionally.

However, RAF ADGB (Air Defence Great Britain) started switching in late spring/early summer 1944, the 8th AF fighter groups began to do so slightly later in the summer (iirc)

Both ADGB and the 8th AF fighters remained the only operational users until December 1944 (again iirc) when the British 2nd TAF on the continet switched as well.

The US 9th AF on the continent did not use 150 octane.

There're some documents about squadrons converting, performance, authorisations etc on MW's pages at

http://www.fourthfightergroup.com/eagles/spittest.html

Mostly on the Spit IX page, but also on the Spit XIV.

[Crumpp]

How is this explained then:



The USAAF never purchased or consumed a drop of it in WWII in any theater for any plane at any time, according to them at least.

I think 150 octane was an RAF only deal.  This is not an ambush.  I thought the USAAF used it too and was very surprised to see they did not.  Even called Maxwell AFB to confirm it. I did not want to post it if it was common knowledge.

Crumpp

[Nashwan]

It almost certainly wasn't purchased, I should think it was reverse lend lease.

Neil Sterling sent me some of the docs that prove it was used, I'll post a bit below.

As to why it's not listed, I don't know, I suspect it was just lumped in as 100 octane.

The reason why I suspect that is because it was 100 octane.

The main fuel used by the allies in fighters, called "100 octane", was rated 100/130, ie lean mixture rating was 100 octane, rich mixture rating was 130 octane.

"!50 octane" fuel was actually 100/150, 100 lean, 150 rich, so in a way it does deserve to get lumped in with 100 octane on a chart that shows, as that one does, only lean mixture rating.

Here's a bit of the stuff that shows the US was using it, as I said courtesy of Neil:




It's from Brig General JH Houghton, Director Supply, dated 27th Jan 45, and Brig General CP Kane, who and Col Alfred R Maxwell, Air Corps, Director of Operations, both of whom agree with the decision to refuse permission for the 8th AF to use 100/150 from continental bases.

[Crumpp]

Ok!  Thanks!

The main fuel used by the allies in fighters, called "100 octane", was rated 100/130, ie lean mixture rating was 100 octane, rich mixture rating was 130 octane.

Looks like they lumped all 100 octane fuels togethers.

Crumpp