AVGAS.

This is coolbert:

"Luftwaffe pilots couldn't believe they were facing the same planes they had fought successfully over France a few months before."

This particular headline is the type of things that sometimes grates on the nerves of the English? Causes a bit of testiness?

"United States 'helped win Battle of Britain through American super-fuel'"

"The United States should be credited with helping Spitfire and Hurricane pilots to win the Battle of Britain because its engineers developed a super-fuel which made them fly faster"

British combat fighter aircraft, Hurricanes and most importantly, the Spitfire, were able to out-duel the Me-109, successfully, due in large measure to the adoption of a hitherto unavailable "super-fuel", a high-octane aviation gasoline [AVGAS]!

"the British fighters were able to outmanoeuvre their German opponents because they were running on a special high-octane fuel created in the US."

"the 100-octane fuel increased the Spitfire's speed by 25mph at sea level and by 34mph at 10,000 feet."

"it helped the aeroplanes gain superior altitude, manoeuvrability and rate of climb. The fuel replaced the 87-octane gasoline, which was previously used in the planes."

The Spitfire was not an unqualified success during the Battle of France - - 1940? Was not more than a match for the Me-109 and other assorted German combat fighter aircraft? BUT, when supplied, just a month or so later, with high-octane AVGAS, became the renowned fighter aircraft that won the Battle of Britain.

The Battle of Britain was won through a combination of factors that luckily all came together at the right time for the English! Radar, Enigma, superior leadership and strategy, the Spitfire, a do-or-die attitude among the British aviators, AND HIGH-OCTANE AMERICAN AVGAS!!

coolbert.