4 ms·

If I recall, the FAA recently approved unleaded for that use.

by eppp 3y ago

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
sidewndr46 3y ago
You've been able to fly a plane with unleaded fuel for decades. See every major airline burning jet fuel. It won't stop the use of leaded fuel until the FAA bans it, which should have happened decades ago. Your airplane can't fly without unleaded fuel? Cool! You can stare at it in the hangar!
- mschuster91 3y ago
  > You've been able to fly a plane with unleaded fuel for decades. See every major airline burning jet fuel. Jet engines are completely different from the piston engines you'll find in general aviation (sans choppers, which mostly run on jet engines). Piston engines need leaded fuel for lubrication as well as knock resistance, and deviating from the original certification of the engine/plane requires a type-specific certification - every model of plane you want to fly that was certified with 100LL AvGas needs to be separately tested if it can fly safely with lead-free AvGas [1]. [1] https://www.flightglobal.com/engines/faa-approves-100-octane-unleaded-aviation-fuel-hastening-shift-from-leaded-gas/150065.article https://www.flightglobal.com/engines/faa-approves-100-octane...
  - andrewg 3y ago
    JetA-burning piston aircraft exist - almost all Diamonds for instance.
    - nmhancoc 3y ago
      General aviation is a pretty small market. I doubt the development costs can be justified. For reference Lycoming only switched away from carburetors around 2009, plus there’s the installed base of old engines being serviced. I do think some European engines have looked at diesel though
      - mschuster91 3y ago
        > I doubt the development costs can be justified. There is no other reasonable choice. Lead fuel has to go away simply because of the amount of lead that deposits all around GA airports.
- shrubble 3y ago
  It's a settled matter of law in the USA that you can't arbitrarily do that to people's property.
  - Spivak 3y ago
    It does happen sometimes but yeah, this is why laws are usually passed in the manner of "new planes can't use leaded fuel."
- kayfox 3y ago
  > It won't stop the use of leaded fuel until the FAA bans it, Pretty much everyone in general aviation who is using leaded fuel wants to get away from it. It clogs corroborators and exhausts, requires special mitigation for spills and handling, and is generally not great. The FAA approved and is now working to promote GAMI G100UL to replace leaded fuel in aviation, the big roadblock is passed as it is approved for all engines for which 100LL was approved for. So the phase out will go as fast as FBOs switch and GAMI can manufacture or license.

If I recall, the FAA recently approved unleaded for that use.

by eppp 3y ago

If I recall, the FAA recently approved unleaded for that use.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

sidewndr46 3y ago

You've been able to fly a plane with unleaded fuel for decades. See every major airline burning jet fuel. It won't stop the use of leaded fuel until the FAA bans it, which should have happened decades ago. Your airplane can't fly without unleaded fuel? Cool! You can stare at it in the hangar!

mschuster91 3y ago
> You've been able to fly a plane with unleaded fuel for decades. See every major airline burning jet fuel. Jet engines are completely different from the piston engines you'll find in general aviation (sans choppers, which mostly run on jet engines). Piston engines need leaded fuel for lubrication as well as knock resistance, and deviating from the original certification of the engine/plane requires a type-specific certification - every model of plane you want to fly that was certified with 100LL AvGas needs to be separately tested if it can fly safely with lead-free AvGas [1]. [1] https://www.flightglobal.com/engines/faa-approves-100-octane-unleaded-aviation-fuel-hastening-shift-from-leaded-gas/150065.article https://www.flightglobal.com/engines/faa-approves-100-octane...
- andrewg 3y ago
  JetA-burning piston aircraft exist - almost all Diamonds for instance.
  - nmhancoc 3y ago
    General aviation is a pretty small market. I doubt the development costs can be justified. For reference Lycoming only switched away from carburetors around 2009, plus there’s the installed base of old engines being serviced. I do think some European engines have looked at diesel though
    - mschuster91 3y ago
      > I doubt the development costs can be justified. There is no other reasonable choice. Lead fuel has to go away simply because of the amount of lead that deposits all around GA airports.
shrubble 3y ago
It's a settled matter of law in the USA that you can't arbitrarily do that to people's property.
- Spivak 3y ago
  It does happen sometimes but yeah, this is why laws are usually passed in the manner of "new planes can't use leaded fuel."
kayfox 3y ago
> It won't stop the use of leaded fuel until the FAA bans it, Pretty much everyone in general aviation who is using leaded fuel wants to get away from it. It clogs corroborators and exhausts, requires special mitigation for spills and handling, and is generally not great. The FAA approved and is now working to promote GAMI G100UL to replace leaded fuel in aviation, the big roadblock is passed as it is approved for all engines for which 100LL was approved for. So the phase out will go as fast as FBOs switch and GAMI can manufacture or license.