Study of effects of fuel properties in turbine-powered business aircraft

Increased interest in research and technology concerning aviation turbine fuels and their properties was prompted by recent changes in the supply and demand situation of these fuels. The most obvious change is the rapid increase in fuel price. For commercial airplanes, fuel costs now approach 50 percent of the direct operating costs. In addition, there were occasional local supply disruptions and gradual shifts in delivered values of certain fuel properties. Dwindling petroleum reserves and the politically sensitive nature of the major world suppliers make the continuation of these trends likely. A summary of the principal findings, and conclusions are presented. Much of the material, especially the tables and graphs, is considered in greater detail later. The economic analysis and examination of operational considerations are described. Because some of the assumptions on which the economic analysis is founded are not easily verified, the sensitivity of the analysis to alternates for these assumptions is examined. The data base on which the analyses are founded is defined in a set of appendices