Unleaded Avgas

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 01:38 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The author strongly refutes the magazine's assertion that the 12.5-pound weight increase from the new unleaded fuel is negligible, emphasizing its significant impact on useful load and the necessity of weight and balance recalculations.
Concerns are raised about the new fuel's potentially higher price due to an "unregulated monopoly" and its inability to deliver promised maintenance benefits like reduced spark plug fouling or lower annual costs for all operators.
The author highlights other potential issues, such as the new fuel acting as a paint remover, and criticizes the magazine for downplaying these "warts" of the product, despite acknowledging the real need for unleaded alternatives.

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I enjoy your very good magazine quite a lot, but…I just read your editorial in November’s issue, “Bravo Foxtrot Delta,” as well as your reply in December’s UNICOM.

You discuss in both cases the added weight’s effects on unusable fuel for empty weight only. Clearly the bigger issue is the added weight’s effects on full-fuel takeoff weight and useful load. My 160-hp PA-28-161 Warrior II holds 50 gallons of fuel. Clearly, the new weight and balance (W&B) calculation for unleaded fuel will now add 12½ pounds to the fuel load.