Author Topic: 100/150 grade use in the USAAF (Read 8718 times)

Neil Stirling1 · « **Reply #45 on:** February 20, 2006, 02:36:15 PM »

Hi Kev,

August 1944

http://www.spitfireperformance.com/150grade/backfire-2.jpg

Ball park, 320 aircraft 60 of these Mossi's. The Spit IX' sqn,s did not revert to 100/130 once replaced by the Mk XIV's .

Incidently the Mustang III sqns had around 24 aircraft per sqn.

http://www.spitfireperformance.com/150grade/315sqdn30jul44.jpg.

More http://www.spitfireperformance.com/150grade/150-grade-fuel.html

Neil.

Krusty · « **Reply #46 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:37:27 PM »

Sable, thanks for the info on early testing, however I wouldn't say "was tested successfully" because they had problems with the fuel and the engines well after that. The knocking problems and engine wear and whatever the rest of the other forum threads mentioned, those continued til the end of the war, and basically 100 octane was doing the same job so they didn't need 150 (and didn't get 150 octane into reliable use until after 1947 -- when they still had corsairs blowing engines).

Angus · « **Reply #47 on:** February 20, 2006, 05:31:53 PM »

Still needs to be explained....what happened to the fuel????????

It was there, cleared, and spent. So how accurate are you going???

Sable · « **Reply #48 on:** February 20, 2006, 06:52:09 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Krusty
Sable, thanks for the info on early testing, however I wouldn't say "was tested successfully" because they had problems with the fuel and the engines well after that. The knocking problems and engine wear and whatever the rest of the other forum threads mentioned, those continued til the end of the war, and basically 100 octane was doing the same job so they didn't need 150 (and didn't get 150 octane into reliable use until after 1947 -- when they still had corsairs blowing engines).

It says quite clearly in the document:

Quote

1. The Eighth Air Force have requested that the VIII Fighter Command Stations be supplied immediately with grade 150 aviation fuel for use in P-47, P-51 and P-38 planes.

2. The fuel has been tested in service and the results have been such that the fuel is desired as soon as its supply can be implemented.

So by the definition of the 8th AF (and their's is the only one that matters here, since we are talking about the 8th AF's use of the fuel) it was good enough that they wanted 150 octane supplied to all their stations. And as we can see from the other documents, and statements of veterans who where there, it was supplied, and consumed operationally.

Angus · « **Reply #49 on:** February 20, 2006, 07:09:09 PM »

Tested, distributed, spent, used and whatever. It got sent and spent. Should be enough right?
Not everybody but there sure was a heck of it around.

Sable · « **Reply #50 on:** March 03, 2006, 03:10:42 PM »

Just spotted some new related documents that Mike and Neil have up on their web site.

This one is from the engineering office of the 359th FG and mentions the changeover to 150 octane (and the boost modification to the aircraft) that took place in June '44.

This one describes the supply of 150 octane fuel to the 78th FG, and this one describes modifying their new Mustangs to use the higher boost settings allowed by 150 octane fuel.

Finally there is this one, showing the fuel consumption of the 339th FG for Feb 1945 - note that there was no 100/130 on hand or consumed. All the fuel used was either 150 octane or PEP (which was the "newer brand" of 150 octane using etheyline dibromide), and all the plain 150 octane was gone by the end of the month. This is interesting, in that it shows that the 339th definitely switched over to the new PEP grade in February of 45, and we can look at the results of their missions and get an idea of what kind of maintenance problems were brought on by this fuel. Here we can see a mission breakdown for the 339th FG. Looking through Feb, March and April of 45 we can see that there were only a handful of aircraft damaged or lost due to maintenance issues or engine failures on takeoff. Given that each mission represents somewhere around 50 sorties, it's clear that the additional maintenance issues of the PEP grade fuel weren't preventing them from operating effectively.

Scherf · « **Reply #51 on:** March 03, 2006, 04:31:56 PM »

In honour of absent friends, let me provide the traditional replies:

"You're talking production, not consumption."

"No fighter pilot would agree to 150's performance-robbing characteristics."

"It was a special project only."

"Not one technical order can be found."

"Continental Europe includes the U.K."

"Short-range, anti-V-1 missions only."

"Fantasy, I tell you. All fantasy."

Aaaaaa-mennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.