SPIT MK I/II and over boost

[Blakduk]

No, not happy at all.

All the evidence indicates that 100 octane fuel was ubiquitous in Fighter command during the Battle of Britain. The only 'evidence' to the contrary is one unverified document that allegedly existed at some time in an archive in Australia, that now cannot be retrieved. There is unfortunately no copy of it anywhere and repeated requests by members of other forums to be shown evidence confirming the existence of this document have come to nought.

The British had determined to use 100 octane fuel in aeroplanes in 1938 (despite the technological hurdles confronting them in refining the stuff). Sufficient advances in techonology were achieved such that by later 1939 the decision was made to standardise Fighter Command's fuel to 100 octane. Conversion took place throughout the early part of 1940, to the extent that it was considered standard by March/April 1940. By July 1940, when the BoB was beginning, it was a done deal.
Conversion for the remainder of the RAF (bomber and coastal command) was ordered in late 1940 but not completed until early 1941.

To insist on placating a person who has a contrary belief despite the lack of supporting evidence for their view is pure folly.

As Geoffery Lloyd, the minister for 'Fuel and Power' in 1940 later said in answer to a question put to him in 1944 'Do you think 100 octane was the deciding factor in the Battle of Britain in 1940?', he replied 'I think we would not have won the battle of britain without 100 octane- but we did have 100 octane'.