Re fuel for extinguishing cigarette stubs. Yes it does work with AVTUR (Jet A)
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I'm not so sure about the USA wide cut Jet A1 and I definatly would not like to
try it with AVGAS or MOGAS.
As RAF groundcrew in the 1960s he Nissan hut stove on the flight line was
modified to run on the fuel from the Valiant and subsequent Victor V bombers.
The bucket used to collect the drained fuel was routinly used to throw burning
stubs into - no problems ensued and it was kept beside the stove! If you would
like the mod: Get one cast iron stove and smack the top with a large hammer to
crack the lid. Obtain a few feet of hydraulic pipe. Fit the pipe into the base
of a suitable 5 gallon oil drum. Strap the oil drum to the stovepipe (chimney)
with a suitable ammount of locking wire and aim the hydraulic pipe free end
through the cracked stove lid. Fill the stove ash pan with AVTUR and screwed up
paper. Light the paper - the fuel will not light on its own. When the stove has
heated up fill the 5 gall drum and allow the fuel to run into the stove. A valve
or tap is a refinement! With this a Nissan hut could be heated in the coldest of
weather as the whole thing, stove and stovepipe runs red hot with about a 12
foot flame out of the chimney. The only drawback is anyone sitting in front of
the stove when the hut door is opened looses their eyebrows if the wind is in
the wrong direction. - new squadron members were easily recognised!
I cannot remember the exact details. I believe, the UK aviation minister of the
late 1940s, Lord Brabazon of Tira, had a discussion as to if the more refined
Jet A or the wider cut Jet A1, proposed by the USA, should become the standard
jet fuel. He challenged his then USA equivalent to stand, on a runway, in a pool
of their fuel, light a match and drop it into the pool. The challenge was
refused and we now have the two fuels in use. In British Airways we have
restrictions placed on our performance when uplifting Jet A1.
Not much good for our piston Europa's but maybe for a diesil?
John Bean kit 23 G-VPSJ
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