Just a little blurb from Wiki;
Aviation fuels are
petroleum-based
fuels, or petroleum and synthetic fuel blends, used to power
aircraft. They have more stringent requirements than fuels used for ground use, such as
heating and
road transport, and contain additives to enhance or maintain properties important to fuel performance or handling. They are
kerosene-based (
JP-8 and
Jet A-1) for gas turbine-powered aircraft. Piston-engine aircraft use
gasoline and those with diesel engines may use
jet fuel (kerosene).
[1] By 2012 all aircraft operated by the
U.S. Air Force had been certified to use a 50-50 blend of kerosene and synthetic fuel derived from coal or natural gas as a way of stabilizing the cost of fuel.
[2]
And another from Aerocorner.com;
What Affects the Type of Fuel Used in an Airplane?
If you’re curious about what determines the type of fuel used by an airplane, the answer is simple:
the fuel type is a direct result of the type of engine used in that plane. Simply put, commercial and fighter planes tend to use kerosene-based fuel, but certain products are usually added to the fuel. This includes
antifreeze, hydrocarbons, metal deactivators, and antioxidants, all of which
prevent corrosion and freezing at higher altitudes, to name a few.
Although there are blends and mixtures of airplane fuel, it all begins with three basic types, and they are described below.
Kerosene-Based Aircraft Fuels
Kerosene-based fuel for airplanes is usually broken down into various types, according to physical qualities and certain specifications. These types include:
- Jet A:
Only available in the United States, Jet A fuel was developed to be heavy, with a higher flash point and higher freezing point than standard kerosene. This fuel has low vapor pressure and a flash point that is roughly 110ᵒ Fahrenheit.
- Jet A1:
Most turbine-engine aircraft use this type of fuel. It has a flash point of 100ᵒ Fahrenheit and a maximum freeze point of -52ᵒ Fahrenheit. It is an easy fuel to find if you’re located outside of the United States.
- Jet B:
Also called wide-cut fuel because it is a combination of kerosene and gasoline, it is used mostly in areas that experience very cold weather, in part because its freezing point is around -76ᵒ Fahrenheit. Its vapor pressure is somewhere between that of gasoline and kerosene.
Editorial Team
Military-Based Fuels
There are eight different types of military-based airplane fuel, as described below.
- JP-1:
This fuel is pure kerosene and has a freezing point of -76ᵒ Fahrenheit. Even though it was efficient fuel, it was soon replaced by other types of wide-cut jet fuel, including fuels made from kerosene-naphtha and a kerosene-gasoline mixture.
- JP-2 and JP-3:
JP-2 was originally developed to replace JP-1 fuel and was rarely used. JP-2 fuel had a high freezing point, but was eventually replaced by JP-3, which was more volatile and was supposed to improve the former. However, because both of these fuels had high vapor loss and were unstable, neither are being used today.
- JP-4:
This type of fuel is flammable and transparent, with a clear or straw color and a smell similar to kerosene. In addition, the JP-4 fuel floated on water and easily evaporated. It had such a low flash point (0ᵒ Fahrenheit) that a match dropped in it would not ignite, and its maximum water temperature was 6,670ᵒ Fahrenheit.
- JP-5:
The JP-5 fuel is yellow in color and contains ingredients such as hydrocarbons, naphthenes, alkenes, and aromatic hydrocarbons. It has a high flash point of 140ᵒ Fahrenheit and a freeze point of -51ᵒ Fahrenheit, and it contains no antistatic agents.
- JP-6:
This fuel was developed specifically for the General Electric YJ 93 Jet Engine associated with the XB-70 Valkyrie Supersonic Aircraft, a high-altitude bomber plane. It was similar to the JP-5 fuel except its freeze point was -65ᵒ Fahrenheit. It also had better thermal oxidative stability than the JP-5.
- JP-7:
This fuel copes well with the heat and stress associated with high-speed supersonic flights, in part because of its high flash point. It was specifically developed for the twin Pratt & Whitney J58 Turbojet/Ramjet engines of the SR-71 Blackbird.
- JP-8:
The JP-8 fuel is similar to the A1 fuel utilized by many commercial airlines, and it has been widely used by the U.S. military. Ingredients were added to it for corrosion barrier and anti-icing purposes, and it has a freezing point of -52ᵒ Fahrenheit, as well as a flash point of 100ᵒ Fahrenheit.
