Mercedes Mullins
Avgas, or aviation gasoline, is a type of aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. It is distinct from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, which is known as mogas (motor gasoline) in an aviation context. Avgas has a lower volatility than mogas, reducing the chance of vapor lock in fuel lines at altitudes up to 22,000 ft. Vapor lock occurs when automotive gasoline vaporizes in fuel lines, creating bubbles that interrupt fuel flow and starve the engine of fuel.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Avgas (aviation gasoline) |
| Other names | Aviation spirit (UK), 100-LL (low-lead) |
| Use | Aviation fuel for aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines |
| Difference from conventional gasoline | Contains tetraethyl lead, a toxic lead-containing additive |
| Purpose of additive | Lubrication of the engine, increasing octane rating, preventing engine knocking |
| Vapor lock | Reduced chance of vapor lock in fuel lines at altitudes up to 22,000 ft |
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What You'll Learn
- Avgas (aviation gasoline) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines
- Avgas is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles
- Unlike motor gasoline, avgas contains tetraethyl lead, a toxic lead-containing additive
- Avgas has an emphasis on purity, anti-knock characteristics and minimisation of spark plug fouling
- Avgas has a lower volatility than automotive gasoline, reducing the chance of vapor lock in fuel lines
Avgas (aviation gasoline) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines
The most commonly used grades of avgas contain tetraethyl lead, a toxic lead-containing additive used to aid in lubrication of the engine, increase octane rating, and prevent engine knocking (premature detonation). Tetraethyl lead is not used in motor gasoline, which has been formulated without lead since the 1970s to allow the use of catalytic converters for pollution reduction. There are ongoing efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of lead in aviation gasoline.
Avgas is used by small aircraft, light helicopters and vintage piston-engined aircraft. It is also used in piston engine aircraft, which require a high-octane fuel. Avgas has a much lower flashpoint than jet fuel and a much higher octane rating than the petrol used in road vehicles.
Automotive gasoline can vaporise in fuel lines, causing a vapor lock (a bubble in the line) or fuel pump cavitation, thereby starving the engine of fuel. However, the lower avgas volatility reduces the chance of vapor lock in fuel lines at altitudes up to 22,000 ft.
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Avgas is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles
Avgas, or aviation gasoline, is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. It is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, which is termed mogas (motor gasoline) in an aviation context. Unlike motor gasoline, which has been formulated without lead since the 1970s to allow the use of catalytic converters for pollution reduction, avgas still contains tetraethyl lead, a toxic lead-containing additive used to aid in lubrication of the engine, increase octane rating, and prevent engine knocking (premature detonation). There are ongoing efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of lead in aviation gasoline.
Avgas is a highly refined form of gasoline for aircraft, with an emphasis on purity, anti-knock characteristics and minimisation of spark plug fouling. It has a lower Reid vapour pressure range than automotive gasoline, with a range of 5.5 to 7 psi, compared to 8 to 14 psi for automotive gasoline. This lower volatility reduces the chance of vapor lock in fuel lines at altitudes up to 22,000 ft. Vapor lock occurs when the more volatile components in automotive gasoline vaporise in the fuel line, forming bubbles and interrupting fuel flow.
Avgas also has different requirements for flying characteristics such as flashpoint and freezing point, while automotive gasoline is made to run through catalytic converters for pollution reduction. Avgas is dyed different colours to make identification easier, with Avgas 100 dyed green, and Avgas 100 LL (low lead) dyed blue.
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Unlike motor gasoline, avgas contains tetraethyl lead, a toxic lead-containing additive
Avgas (aviation gasoline) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. Unlike motor gasoline, which has been formulated without lead since the 1970s to allow the use of catalytic converters for pollution reduction, avgas still contains tetraethyl lead. This is a toxic lead-containing additive used to aid in lubrication of the engine, increase octane rating, and prevent engine knocking (premature detonation). Tetraethyl lead is added to avgas to increase the fuel's octane rating and prevent engine knocking. This additive is toxic and has been linked to health issues such as lead poisoning. Avgas is a highly refined form of gasoline with an emphasis on purity, anti-knock characteristics and minimization of spark plug fouling. It has a lower volatility than automotive gasoline, which reduces the chance of vapor lock in fuel lines at altitudes up to 22,000 feet. Vapor lock occurs when the more volatile components in automotive gasoline turn into vapour, forming bubbles in the fuel line and interrupting fuel flow. This can starve the engine of fuel and cause fuel pump cavitation. Avgas is therefore designed to prevent this issue and ensure a consistent fuel supply to the engine.
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Avgas has an emphasis on purity, anti-knock characteristics and minimisation of spark plug fouling
Avgas, or aviation gasoline, is a highly refined form of gasoline used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. It is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, which is termed mogas (motor gasoline) in an aviation context. Avgas has an emphasis on purity, anti-knock characteristics and minimisation of spark plug fouling.
Avgas is a highly refined form of gasoline. This emphasis on purity is important because it reduces the chance of vapor lock in fuel lines at altitudes up to 22,000 ft. Vapor lock occurs when the more volatile components in automotive gasoline vaporise in fuel lines, creating bubbles in the line and interrupting fuel flow, which can starve the engine of fuel.
The anti-knock characteristics of avgas are due to the presence of tetraethyl lead, a toxic lead-containing additive that prevents engine knocking (premature detonation) and also acts as a lubricant for the engine. There are ongoing efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of lead in aviation gasoline.
Avgas also minimises spark plug fouling. Spark plugs can become fouled when fuel does not burn completely, leaving behind deposits that can interfere with the spark. Avgas has a low viscosity at low temperatures and burns cleanly, which helps to prevent this.
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Avgas has a lower volatility than automotive gasoline, reducing the chance of vapor lock in fuel lines
Avgas, or aviation gasoline, is a highly refined form of gasoline used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. It has a lower volatility than automotive gasoline, which reduces the chance of vapor lock in fuel lines. Vapor lock occurs when the more volatile components in automotive gasoline flash into vapour, forming bubbles in the fuel line and interrupting fuel flow. This can starve the engine of fuel.
Avgas is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, which is termed mogas (motor gasoline) in an aviation context. Unlike motor gasoline, which has been formulated without lead since the 1970s to allow the use of catalytic converters for pollution reduction, avgas still contains tetraethyl lead. This toxic lead-containing additive is used to aid in lubrication of the engine, increase octane rating, and prevent engine knocking (premature detonation). There are ongoing efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of lead in aviation gasoline.
The production of aviation fuel falls into two categories: fuel suitable for turbine engines and fuel suitable for spark-ignition piston engines. Avgas falls into the latter category and is suitable for spark-ignition piston engines. It has a strong emphasis on purity, anti-knock characteristics, and minimization of spark plug fouling.
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Frequently asked questions
Avgas is aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. It is also known as aviation spirit in the UK.
Avgas stands for aviation gasoline.
Avgas is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, which is termed mogas (motor gasoline) in an aviation context. Unlike motor gasoline, which has been formulated without lead since the 1970s, avgas still contains tetraethyl lead, a toxic lead-containing additive used to aid in lubrication of the engine, increase octane rating, and prevent engine knocking.
Avgas has a lower volatility than conventional gasoline, which reduces the chance of vapor lock in fuel lines at altitudes up to 22,000 ft. It also has an emphasis on purity, anti-knock characteristics and minimization of spark plug fouling.
Vapor lock typically occurs in fuel systems where a mechanically-driven fuel pump mounted on the engine draws fuel from a tank mounted lower than the pump. The reduced pressure in the line can cause the more volatile components in automotive gasoline to flash into vapour, forming bubbles in the fuel line and interrupting fuel flow.
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