The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1944-05-12
. BEHIND THE SCENES
IN WASHINGTON .


isn't a gasoline, strictly speak
ing, but a blend of ingredients
which will do certain things 100
per cent.
But, while refinery experts
can't make anything better than
gasoline with a 100 octane rat
ing they have been able TO con-
coct mixtures which will cruise
farther and climb faster per gal
lon than the aviation gasolines
made at the beginning of the
war. II is from this fact that
the stories of new super-gaso-
lines got started.
lI5/I45 MEANS
FARTHER AND FASTER
II still isn't permitted to tell
Just how much better these new
gasolines are. They are of such
recent development that there
isn't any generally accepted no.
mcnclature or grading, but one
type of designation for aviation
specification gasolines is a COM
bination of two numbers, such as
115kl45. This means gaso-
line which will permit a plane
to cruise Is per cent farther and
climb AS per cent faster at full
throttle than gasolines in use at
the beginning of the war. But
this gas would still be 100 oc-
tame.
There is still a dispute be-
tween aviation experts as TO the
besttype of gas for war. Long
range bombers and naval air
craft operating from carriers
naturally want maximum cruise
range. But when taking off
with a heavy load or when they
get over Germany and are at
tackled by Nazi fighters, they
need maximum power for rapid
climb and quick getaway.
The need for an emergency,
full-throttle fuel has been met,
however, by use of water injec-
tion-feeding a little water into
the cylinders along with the va
ported gasoline-air mixture
from the varburetor. In prin-
ciple, the water cools the inside
of the cylinder, permitting high
err compression and therefore
more power on explosion. Wat
err injection can't be used indef-
initely, but for short periods
at takeoff, in dog fight--it will
step up power and engine per-
formances by surprising per-
centage. Just how much is re-
stricted information.
BLENDS ARE UNLIMITED
Aside from practical limita-
tions Of the supply problem.
there is no limitation TO specifi-
cations of gasoline blends that
can be made by the refineries.
There is, however, the catch
that it takes more crude oil to
make given quantity OF high
specification aviation gasoline
than to make the same quantity
OF base stock.
Fitting all this into the post
war pictufe, refiners anticipate
that commercial flying will take
less gasoline than military fly
ing, and therefore they will be
able to meet all requirements
for an extra high specification
aviation gasoline. This may be
l25/160 gasoline-meaning it
will give Is per cent greater
range and so per cent greater
power than preWar aviation gas.
This is just about the limit that
airplane engines will take, as
now designed.
At the same time, there will
be a greater quantity of prem
ium gasoline for automobiles
and trucks. But it won't be 100
octane gasoline unless they
start redesigning engines TO take
the stuff and get out all the en-
ergy there is in high-compres-
sion fuel.
Put 100 octane in your old bus
today and, while it would run
smoother, you wouldn't get any
greater performance in miles
per gallon, or on the pickup
when the light goes green.