Eli5: why do fighter jets use less refined fuel than cars

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Cars use gasoline but jets use something closer to diesel, maybe kerosene, that’s less combustible. Wouldn’t they need a _more_ volatile or explosive fuel to get the most thrust for performance?

In: Engineering

13 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Jet engines run much hotter than a car engine, so they actually need fuel that is more stable at higher temperatures so that it doesn’t ignite until it’s time for it to ignite.

And believe it or not, the kerosene-like jet fuel can hold more energy in it for the weight than car gas. Weight is an important factor for aircraft, for obvious reasons.

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