thoughts on this never heard before ...spits

[rocketred]

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dba_1242166005

[gecko]

I've read up on this a little and it seems the RAF had taken steps to have it available and from some memos I read may have had it as early as March 1940. The question is, how much did they have and how widespread was it by the time of the Battle of Britain? I tend to think it was nearly standard in Fighter Command units, but it's hard to say for certain. Would be interested to hear from anyone who knows better.

[ndicki]

100 octane was definitely RAF standard a couple of years later, anyway. My father's squadron put in for a Tiger Moth for training and hack work, or so the story went. In fact, the aircraft was pushed to the back of a hangar and forgotten about... The petrol, on the other hand, was not forgotten about, far from it! Needless to say, it went into the fuel tanks of the cars on the squadron, including my father's night black and trainer yellow Austin 7! The fuel used in the Merlins of the operational aircraft would have melted the poor Austin's little engine!

Seriously though, it isn't the first time I've heard this story, but I can't find who from. I have a nagging feeling that it's actually from one of The Few...

Bit of looking:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_of_the_Battle_of_Britain#100_octane_aviat ion_fuel

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?topic=3743.0;wap2

No idea about Houdry.

[MajorMagee]

http://www.phillips66aviation.com/fuels.aspx

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/questions-about-wwii-87-octane-aviation-fuels-18051.html

http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/296859-High-Octane-fuel-in-Britain-WW2-Forums

[greycap.raf]

March 1940 sounds right to me.

http://www.spitfireperformance.com/ap1590b.jpg