Was it true that the Allies had higher octane aviation fuel thus giveing them air superiority?

Question

Oversimplified I know...but..if true it was a contributing factor.

Answer 1

Yes, the Allies had better fuel which allowed the design and manufacture of aircraft with superior performance characteristics during the war.

Into the 1930's, aviation fuel had a 70-80 octane rating. In 1935, the techniques were developed in the US to produce a 100-octane fuel. Higher octane fuel mean that engines could have higher compression ratios and be more powerful. By 1939, Great Britain was using the fuel technology.

Germany never got there. It never emphasized high octane fuel in the years leading up to and during the war, and it was difficult, regardless, to process the synthetic fuels that Germany was forced to rely on for much of the war to the high octane levels.

Without a doubt, it was a major factor - if not the major factor - for the outperformance of Allied aircraft including higher speeds, longer ranges, and the ability to fly at higher altitudes.

Becker discusses this about a third of the way down in his article.
http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1981/jul-aug/becker.htm

Answer 2

I think this is very much oversimplifying the situation... air superiority probably came from greater Western Allied numbers if anything, since the Germans had to split their resources between the two fronts. Not only that, the production advantages the Western Allies had given this situation and the fact that the United States was able to operate at full production capacity opposed to any other major power in the war contributed more than anything. It's easy to forget how many German resources were tied up in the Eastern Front

Answer 3

This 'advantage' in performance would not be great enough to eliminate superior flying ability and/or superior aircraft. It just doesn't make that much of a difference.

Answer 4

No. Superior aircraft gave them the advantage in the air.

Answer 5

NO WAY YOU ONLY USE THE FUEL THE ENGINE REQUIRES IN AN AIRPLANE. EACH ENGINE HAS TO HAVE THE REQUIRED FUEL AND ITS VERY CRITICAL. I KNOW I WAS AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC IN THE NAVY. YOU DO NOT SOUP UP AN AIRPLANE BY USING HIGHER OCTANE BUT YOU CAN BURN UP THE ENGINE BY DOING THAT.

Answer 6

No. The performance of the german planes matched that of the allies.

Answer 7

No.