fuel color

[Austin Power]

Hi everyone,

Does any one know about the color of the JP-4, JP-5 and JP-8. We have some fuel quality problems sometimes at the place where I'm working. A few days ago the refueller gave us some fuel that my engineer told me was kind of suspicious because of he yellowish color the fuel had. When I told the refueler that we where kind of septic about the fuel, he told us that it was JP-1 fuel, I don't know, but I don't think I heard about JP-1 before.

Well, I figured that if I knew a bit better about the fuel color I will be able to make my own judgment.

Another thing, does that exist some kind of a fuel test kit, to see if the color matches with the fuel grade? Like the kind of test the doctor does when testing our urine for sugar level.

Thanks for you help.

Austin.

[fmrc3ame]

Jet fuel is normally clear or straw colored (yellowish). Whereas Avgas is generally blue (100LL) in color. You can still find some 80/87 in some places (red) or the 100/130 (green). JP-1 to JP-8 is usually for military applications and JP-1 is extremely rare. As for test kits I've only ever seen the water contamination kits for both Avgas and JetA or JetB. There maybe kits out there but fuel color is generally a good indicator of what your getting.

[KKboy]

Prehaps the fueler meant JetA-1

Where are you buying this fuel?

[tellyourkidstogetarealjob]

You aren't , by chance, getting this fuel in YVR are you?

[Austin Power]

No, I'm not getting that fuel anywhere in Canada, it's in Afghanistan. Time to time we get contaminated fuel, last fall we had fungus in the thanks, that resulted in FCU's problems and fuel filters by-pass, pupping up. So we are sceptic about anything that gets in the fuel thanks. The guy who sells fuel in this country is not really trustworthy, its not even an Aghan, its a withe guy!

Thanks for the answer. So, I can expect yellowish color for the JP fuel? Good stuff.

Thanks again.

Austin

[tellyourkidstogetarealjob]

Water in suspension in Jet A-1 can also look yellow. Almost like a draft lager.

Try leaving your sample in a jug for a couple of hours and see if it stays yellow or separates.

[KKboy]

The in Afganistan should be relatively good, there might be some deisel in it, but my experience East of there is that it was OK.
The tank contamination is more about water and not being able to clear the tanks of this regularly.
I don't know what aircraft you operate but over wing fueling locations and their seals are ussually the biggest problem not the fuel you put in as far as accumulated water.
Perhaps this is a bit simplistic but the bugs live in the water on the bottom of the tank and eat the fuel, once you have them in the tank they are hard to get rid of. particularly if you are not flying alot and constantly filling the tanks.
I would be interested in the fuel bowser filters.

[toooldforthisstuff]

yup