BLUF
The USA developed and supplied the high-octane fuel that gave the Spitfire and Hurricane a winning edge in the Battle of Britain.Summary
This article in the Royal Society of Chemistry makes the following points.
- A French American, Eugene Houdry, developed a process to convert useless crude oil into 100 octane fuel.
- 100 Octane fuel increased the Spitfire's speed by 25 mph at sea level and 34 mph at 10,000 feet.
- A 13-octane point increase contributed to the British victory in the Battle of Britain in 1940.
