Wayne
Well-Known Member
Folks -
I, like many of you, have an airplane engine that burns gasoline. In my case the engine is a UL Power which requires 93 Octane non leaded fuel and will likely come from an automobile gas station. With vehicle manufacturers world wide focusing heavily on electrification (a combination of a new market opportunity plus environmental/Government factors) it seems inevitable to me that my source of fuel is going to be getting scarcer and scarcer until it eventually runs out. I expect it's price to rise with declining consumption.
Since General Aviation is such a tiny market for gasoline compared to the automotive market where does that leave us for fuel? Is there going to be a large enough market to justify a refinery to produce gasoline until we get a workable electric solution?
If we do get a workable electricity based energy source will we be retro-fitting our older airplanes or are we looking at a total loss, followed by a huge investment in a new airplane that many of us can't afford?
Looking on the bright side, if we do get forced into new aircraft, there really will be a need for a cost effective run about plane so there will be a new market of some kind.
I, like many of you, have an airplane engine that burns gasoline. In my case the engine is a UL Power which requires 93 Octane non leaded fuel and will likely come from an automobile gas station. With vehicle manufacturers world wide focusing heavily on electrification (a combination of a new market opportunity plus environmental/Government factors) it seems inevitable to me that my source of fuel is going to be getting scarcer and scarcer until it eventually runs out. I expect it's price to rise with declining consumption.
Since General Aviation is such a tiny market for gasoline compared to the automotive market where does that leave us for fuel? Is there going to be a large enough market to justify a refinery to produce gasoline until we get a workable electric solution?
If we do get a workable electricity based energy source will we be retro-fitting our older airplanes or are we looking at a total loss, followed by a huge investment in a new airplane that many of us can't afford?
Looking on the bright side, if we do get forced into new aircraft, there really will be a need for a cost effective run about plane so there will be a new market of some kind.