Condition Red 'Condition Red' [CD] { } ~54.00.00 56340

Thus, in the prewar year of 1940, the vast majority of the 973,800 tons of aviation gasoline produced was fuel with octane ratings of 70 to 74, used by antiquated domestic airplanes. Understandably, this situation did not change during the war, and the pressing demand for B-78 aviation gasoline required by the new Yak-1, II-2, MiG-3, La-5, and other warplanes could not be met by Russian refineries. And so, American high-octane gasoline was used in large quantities as an octane-boosting additive to make quality aviation fuel both under factory conditions and directly at Red Army and Navy combat units. According to available data, 53% of the total volume of high-octane gasoline was made at military storage facilities from April 1943 to May 1945. Equally important for the supply of quality fuel to Soviet aviators were Allied deliveries of special octane-boosting additives (e.g., tetraethyl lead solutions) for the preparation of high-octane aviation gasoline for the Soviet Armed Forces and for boosting automotive gasoline octane ratings ...»