   jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (atf) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. it is colourless to straw-colored in appearance. the most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are jet a and jet a-1, which are produced to a standardized international specification. the only other jet fuel commonly used in civilian turbine-engine powered aviation is jet b, which is used for its enhanced cold-weather performance. jet fuel is a mixture of a large number of different hydrocarbons. the range of their sizes (molecular weights or carbon numbers) is restricted by the requirements for the product, for example, the freezing point or smoke point. kerosene-type jet fuel (including jet a and jet a-1) has a carbon number distribution between about 8 and 16 (carbon atoms per molecule); wide-cut or naphtha-type jet fuel (including jet b), between about 5 and 15. ==history== fuel for piston-engine powered aircraft (usually a high-octane gasoline known as avgas) has a low flash point to improve its ignition characteristics. turbine engines can operate with a wide range of fuels, and jet-aircraft engines typically use fuels with higher flash points, which are less flammable and therefore safer to transport and handle. the first axial compressor jet engine in widespread production and combat service, the junkers jumo 004 on the messerschmitt me 262a fighter, and the arado ar 234b jet recon-bomber, burned either a special synthetic "j2" fuel or diesel fuel. gasoline was a third option but unattractive due to high fuel consumption.{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title = summary of debriefing of german pilot hans fey | work =
Aviation_fuels Liquid_fuels Petroleum_products