Скачать или смотреть Allied Bomber Engines Kept Exploding in 1940 — Until One Chemist's '100-Octane' Formula Stopped It

In 1940, aircraft engines across the world were already reaching their mechanical limits. Pilots could climb higher, fly faster, and fight harder — but only until their engines detonated and destroyed themselves. The limiting factor wasn’t metal, aerodynamics, or pilot skill. It was fuel.

This documentary tells the largely forgotten story of how American chemists solved a problem most generals didn’t even know existed: aviation fuel that could survive extreme compression without exploding. From the Battle of Britain to the skies over Germany and the Pacific, high-octane fuel quietly became one of the most decisive advantages of World War II.

Using archival records, engineering data, and firsthand combat accounts, this film shows how catalytic cracking, 100/130-octane fuel, and refinery workers on the home front allowed Allied aircraft to climb higher, fly farther, survive damage, and return home — while enemy air forces slowly lost performance they could never recover.

This is not a story about pilots or planes alone.
It’s a story about chemistry, industry, and how invisible systems decide visible battles.

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