In article ,
"Blueskies" wrote:

"Justin Gombos" wrote in message
news:f3hWh.756$dM1.354@trndny07...
: On 2007-04-20, ArtP wrote:
: On 19 Apr 2007 17:38:00 -0700, M wrote:
:
: I suspect for aviation diesel will be the solution for a while.
:
: Exactly. Leaving 100LL for unleaded is half-assed. When fuel prices
: match the prices in Europe, consumers will be going straight to
: diesel, and Jet A will supply them.
:
: I also agree w/ M. Aircraft makers are short-sighted. Consider the
: small fraction of single engine diesels available. More manufacturers
: should have already been on that by now.

Ain't gonna happen, since most GA aircraft have gasoline engines, which
will puke their guts out on biodiesel (or any other Diesel, for that
matter.

: Out of curiosity, what's to stop the GA pilot (in terms of FAA law)
: from making their own batch of biodiesel from waste oil to get rock
: bottom prices, and sidestep the avgas tax entirely?

Engine compatability -- 99.% of GA engines are piston engines designed
for gasoline. turbine engines, theoretically, will burn anything that
can be metered. They would have to be recalibrated for biodiesel, due to
viscosity/density differences; additives would have to be added to
prevent water and other contamination; they might freeze up at altitude
(-60F for some jets).


: Accounting for the cost of raw material, the yield would be ~$1/gal,
: which would make the fuel costs of flying cheaper than that of driving
: a typical car. And (IRS aside) what kind of FAA approval process
: would enable a GA pilot to do that? Or is that scenario pure fiction?
:
: --


Diesel or Jet fuel will cost us the same a 100LL if the switch over occurs.
BioDiesel will also become unobtanium
when/if the demand shifts; there is not enough bio stuff to make it with to
go around.