FIREPROOF PETROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 31, 7 February 1928, Page 18

FIREPROOF PETROL.

WONDERFUL FRENCH DISCOVERY. STANDS ALL TESTS SUCCESSFULLY. The "Morning Tost" gives particulars of a new safety petrol invented by a Frenchman, which is practically fireproof. It will not ignite under 35 degrees centigrade or 95 degrees Fahrenheit. A gallon of the liquid has been sent over from Paris and tests have been made by various correspondents of the journal in question. The French Air Union, the commercial line between London and Paris, has decided to use the petrol exclusively on its passenger air planes from this month. The sample sent was drawn from the tank of an airplane which had run on the petrol for several hours, and the bottle was sealed at the Lc Bourgct aeiodrome and stamped by the Bureau Veritas to prove its authenticity. "The new fuel was discovered by M. Ferrier, an official of a French Government Department, who immediately handed over the patents to the French Admiralty. Its great possibilities were realised by Mr. Bardel, the chief engineer of the French air line, and a special carburettor was constructed to take the petrol on an ordinary air liner. "M. Bajac, the chief pilot of the line, made a series of long flights with the petrol, and it was found to be as efficient as ordinary petrol and practically fireproof. It was after the last of these flights that the sample was taken from the tank of the air liner, under official supervision. It would appear that the new discovery almost eliminates any danger from fire in air liners in the future."

Elaborate Tests Made. The motoring correspondent of "The Post" writes as follows: — "I had an opportunity of testing a small quantity of the new 'safety fuel,' and I may say that the results I obtained were astonishing. I poured about two tablespoonsful of the fluid into a large tin, and was quite unable to light it with a match. All that happened was that the match, on being put to the spirit, flared tip for a moment and then went out as if it liad been extinguished by water. With ordinary petrol in the same tin the spirit burst into flame long before the match had touched the surface.

"I then got the tin nearly red hot by burning ordinary motor spirit in it, and on pouring the special 'safety fuel' on to it there was just a puff of white vapour, but no fire. Ordinary petrol when poured on to the tin caught fire at once. I then poured a small quantity of tho fuel into the float chambers of the two carburettors of a car that, had had all the other petrol drained out. The engine was just warm, artd it started at the first pull up of the handle and ran for several minutes absolutely normally. The mixture setting was in the usual position, and the exhaust apparently clean and dry. I found on changing over to ordinary petrol that no difference in the running could bo detected. "It was possible to get blotting-paper soaked in the 'safety fuel' to burn, but it did not flare up with explosive violence, and was far more reluctant to catch alight than in the case of ordinary motor spirit. "Though the spirit would not be as Valuable to the motorist as to the airman, at the same time a petrol which is as reluctant to burn as this would bo much appreciated, particularly for commercial haulage, when large quantities are stored." Experts Taken By Surprise. "The new 'safety fuel' is causing something of a sensation among those interested in aviation in this country," savs the aeronautical correspondent. "Even the Air Ministry's technical experts have been taken completely by surprise. "The fuel, if it justifies the claims that have been made for it, will not only prove of value in commercial avia-tion—lighter-than-air craft especially— but also in service aviation. Upon inquiries at the Air Ministry as to what action was proposed, the following official reply was issued: *'1110 Air Minietry has no particulars so far of this fuel, but immediate steps are being taken to obtain details with a view to ascertaining the possibilities for its use in the Royal Air Force.' Advantages to Aviators. "Judging from the tests that have been carried out with this fuel a machine using it might crash, the tanks might burst, and the fuel pour all over the hot engine and exhaust pipes without there being any risk of lire. "Fire due to a spark from a loose high tension lead igniting petrol which has collected in some crevice in the engine or engine cowling would be unlikely to occur with the Ferrier fuel. "It will be recalled that it was the original aim of the designers of the two 5,000,000 cubic feet airships, which are being built for the Government, to use heavy oil engines in order to eliminate the risk of lire. The engines have not been developed in time, however, and petrol engines are being substituted in the RIOO. "The new fuel would seem to provide the airship designers with a way out of their difficulty. They could obtain the advantages of fully developed petrol engines with the advantages of a fuel far less inflammable than petrol."