UK Based aircraft manafacturer Brittin-Norman has announced an upgrade for its BN2B-26 Lycoming powered Islander aircraft allowing them to operate on unleaded aviation fuel.
The upgrade is in response to the continued journey towards sustainabiltty in aviation which will see leaded aviation fuels phased out and will allow older propellor powered aircraft to continue operating.
Fuel specifications approved for use with the modication are ASTM D7547 (UL 91 & UL 94), DEF-STAN 91-090 (UL 91), and HJELMCO (91/96 UL).
Mark Shipp, Technical Director and Head of Design at Britten-Norman, commented: “Britten-Norman is committed to delivering a sustainable future for aviation through our Green Futures initiative. This development is an important milestone for the hundreds of Islander operators who will be able to reduce their emissions through the introduction of unleaded fuels.”
100LL (Low Lead) AVGAS is still the most popular aviation fuel for propellor aircraft but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recently announced a decision to phase out the leaded fuel and pressure is being put on the UK Government to follow suit in the UK where leaded fuel for cars was banned in 2000.