Quote:
Originally Posted by aspqrz
Hey, I was pointing out that combat capable (in a very limited sense) civilian aircraft that can use regular fuel would be available in large enough numbers to ensure the continuance of airpower ... and that such aircraft are not huge fuel hogs.
The MFI-9 the Biafrans used had a 75 kW engine and a gross weight of 575 kg and is certified to run on 80/87 avgas (aka only requires only "regular" 87 anti-knock index automotive gasoline) ... and not a whole hell of a lot of it, 'smell of an oily rag' comes to mind.
Yet it could carry six 68 mm Rockets under each wing.
Not an Arc Light strike by any means, but for a tactical strike against some of the 'Divisions' remaining in the field in TW:2000 not a mere nothing.
Hercules transports would be nice in certain situations, but they were not what I was commenting on.
Phil
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My issue with this is that everyone keeps talking about 87 Octane Gas as though it will be the most plentiful fuel in Twilight2000. It won't be and here's why:
(note: this is coming from my experience as a 77FOX after my artillery unit was disbanded and my last 3 years working as a trucker for the oil and gas industry in PA)
There are many grades or types of oil in the World, but the two most commonly discussed (and harvested) oils for fuels are Shale Oil Crude and Light, Sweet Crude.
Shale Oil Crude: This is what the vast majority of Canadian and US oil is comprised of. This oil is often harvested through Fracking and contains sand, and mineral contaminants as well as being heavier and thicker than Light, Sweet Crude. This means that it costs more money to refine this oil and it is therefore used to make "heavier" (by Specific Gravity) products that don't require as much refining. Thus Shale oil is used to produce Fuel Oil, Motor Lubricants, Greases, Diesel Fuel, and Kerosene (Canadian oils are commonly used here), and Plastics. The costs are currently too high to refine Shale oil into Gasolines, Cutting oils, or "lighter" (by Specific Gravity) products.
Light, Sweet Crude: This oil is now normally found in Africa, The Middle East, and certain North Sea areas. There is speculation that the reserves in the South China Sea are Light, Sweet Crude. All Gasoline (AvGas, Premium, Midgrade, and 87 Octane) comes primarily from Light, Sweet Crude (along with Cutting Oils and other "lighter" petroleum products). This oil is the most used oil in the World, which is leading to it's "exhaustion" and the need to drill in newer places. Light, Sweet Crude is the "Benchmark" oil and all other Crudes have a lower Dollar value than Light, Sweet Crude due to the costs of refining them (compared to the lower cost of refining Light, Sweet Crude). This is also the oil used by the Civilian Sector (in the ENTIRE World) to provide transportation. The demand for this oil is incredibly high.
When one considers a disruption of the World's Fuel Manufacturing base, the following WILL happen:
Gasoline Production WILL fall off drastically and prices will rise to catastrophic levels very quickly. There simply isn't enough Light, Sweet Crude left in the European, and North American continents to meet demand. Without the African and Middle Eastern supplies of Light, Sweet Crude, Gas will "dry up" rapidly.
Diesel Fuel, Fuel Oil, and even Kerosene will still be available. The Shale Oil supplies in North America and Europe CAN BE REFINED INTO FUEL OIL AND DIESEL AT MODERATE COST. This is why Diesel Fuel was still available to US citizens during the Gas Crisis of the 1970s. We could make affordable Diesel fuel.
Bio-Diesel WILL be available as it can be made by combining animal fats with Ethanol to make it. This can be done by the stills listed in the game. Bio-Diesel carries NO loss of power or fuel efficiency either (I actually have BioWilly fuel in my tanks as I type this).
Ethanol CAN be used in many Gasoline powered cars. Contrary to the Dev's beliefs, Ethanol is NOT less powerful than gas but, in fact, MORE POWERFUL... producing anywhere from 5% to 35% MORE Horsepower per liter of fuel. The issue is NOT Horsepower BUT LONGEVITY in "alchohol burners."
First, the fuel burns "hotter" than gas, and this tends to destroy the seals, valves, springs and other various components of the engine in question. Multifuel engines CAN handle this wear.
Second, the fuel has a shorter "Duration of Burn" than gas. Gas has elements in it that extend the amount of time each injection of gas will burn in relation to Ethanol's burn time. This is where the reduced fuel economy of Ethanol comes in (due to Ethanol's faster burn rate).
Methanol cannot even be used as a fuel. Kato has a good post on this in the Thread Maps so I won't revisit that here.
Thus, our Fuel Chart SHOULD BE (from MOST Common to LEAST Common):
Bio-Diesel
Ethanol
Diesel
Kerosene
Gas
AvGas