Continental Aerospace yesterday said it would apply to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for approval to run unleaded avgas in select engines.
If approved, the application would authorise the use of 91/94 octane avgas in 100 of the most popular engines including some O-200s, IO-360s, O-470s, and IO-470s.
Continental said it considers 91UL and 94UL fuel as a transitional step in reaching more sustainable aviation.
“While Continental offers Jet-A engines that utilise readily available heavy fuels, the majority of Continental aviators are flying behind an engine fueled by a lead avgas like 100LL,” said Dr. David Dörner, Vice President of Global Research and Development.
“If we want the future generations of aviators to enjoy the beauty of flight, it is imperative that the industry collaboratively evaluate alternatives and identify viable solutions.
"Unfortunately, not everyone has access to quality fuels, but by expanding fuel sources, aviators can choose to fly while being more environmentally responsible.”
Continental's application to the FAA follows a review on the impacts of alternative fuels in lower compression ratio engines. This performance study was held in conjunction with Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) initiative and verified that the select engines perform as designed with the lower octane fuels.
Continental anticipates that more engine models will be approved for unleaded avgas after further testing.