Continental Aerospace is to expand the use of alternative fuels in select lower compression avgas engines. The company has submitted a formal application to the FAA that if approved, would authorise the use of unleaded aviation gasoline in over 100 popular engine models including select O-200s, IO-360s, O-470s and IO-470s.

With the pending approval of this application, Continental strives to enable aviators the opportunity to select a greener alternative.

“While Continental offers Jet-A engines that utilise readily available heavy fuels, the majority of Continental aviators are flying behind an engine fuelled by a lead avgas like 100LL,” says vice president of global research and development Dr David Dörner. “If we want the future generations of aviators to enjoy the beauty of flight, it is imperative that the industry collaboratively evaluates alternatives and identifies viable solutions. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to quality fuels, but by expanding fuel sources, aviators can choose to fly while being more environmentally responsible.”

As a part of Continental's commitment to the future of general aviation, it has prioritised this group of engine models to conduct an extensive review of the impacts of alternative fuels in lower compression ratio engines. This performance study, held in conjunction with the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions' (EAGLE) initiative, verified that the select powerplants perform as designed with the lower octane fuels. Continental's testing scope includes other engine models and anticipates additional approvals in the future.