Why is jet fuel important?

Why is jet fuel important?

Jet fuel is the third most important transportation fuel. It is a middle-distillate product that is used for jets (commercial and military) and is used around the world in cooking and heating (kerosene). When used as a jet fuel, some of the critical qualities are freeze point, flash point, and smoke point.

Do jets need fuel?

From small airplanes like the Cessna to large twin-engine jets like the Airbus A380, all combustion-powered airplanes require fuel to operate. Like combustion-powered automobiles, they burn fuel to create the power needed to achieve and maintain a safe flying speed.

What does jet fuel do?

“Unlike gasoline for your car or piston-driven aircraft, which requires a spark plug to ignite, jet fuel tends to auto-ignite much more easily with heat and compression.” Just like diesel fuel! This makes it the fuel of choice for a jet engine, which does not have spark plugs.

Where is Jet A fuel used?

turbine engines
Jet fuel (Jet A-1 type aviation fuel, also called JP-1A) is used globally in the turbine engines (jet engines, turboprops) in civil aviation. This is a carefully refined, light petroleum. The fuel type is kerosene. Jet A-1 has a flash point higher than 38°C and a freezing point of -47°C.

What is jet fuel called?

kerosene
Jet fuel (Jet A-1, kerosene) Jet fuel (Jet A-1 type aviation fuel, also called JP-1A) is used globally in the turbine engines (jet engines, turboprops) in civil aviation. This is a carefully refined, light petroleum. The fuel type is kerosene.

What does jet fuel smell like?

Jet-A smells like kerosene (not quite “like diesel”, but definitely not like gasoline). If you are familiar with how both smell you can tell them apart by odor, and a significant contamination of Avgas with Jet-A could be detected by smell.

Why does jet fuel smell so good?

Aviation Gasoline (AVGAS) has many “aromatic” hydrocarbons to boost octane which are called aromatic because of their distinctive odors.

Is jet fuel expensive?

The cost of airline fuel has been volatile over the last sixteen years. From a high of 3.17 U.S. dollars per gallon in 2012, just four years later the cost had fallen by more than half to 1.45 U.S. dollars and reaching 1.43 U.S dollars per gallon in 2020.

Can you buy airplane fuel?

Anybody can buy av fuel going into an approved fuel container. You cant pull up and have it put directly into a car or your sled. After you leave the airport what you do with is your business.

What color is jet fuel?

Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear 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 standardised international specification.