Helicopters make for an agile alternative to traveling short distances in airplanes, but what fuel do they run on?
Helicopters traditionally run on aviation gasoline, or jet fuel, terms that are more or less self-explanatory. The former is used in smaller-engined helicopters, while the latter is reserved for turbine-driven helicopters. There have also been concepts that use all-electric power or diesel.
Read on to learn more about helicopters and how they fit into the world of air travel.
Get To The Chopper!
If we look back in history, we can find evidence of the idea of helicopters having existed for more than two thousand years. In Ancient China, bamboo toys were built that flew vertically when thrown into the air.
It wasn’t something that was really explored as the centuries passed; no human was all that eager to take to the skies. However, where great minds appear, incredible ideas and innovations will soon follow.
In the mid-fifteenth century, Leonardo da Vinci made plans for an ‘aerial screw’ device. This construct would be able to take to the skies on a vertical axis, but he lacked the technology to make this idea a reality.
Throughout the next few centuries, the greatest minds the world had ever seen set to work on creating the ‘helicopter’. These included Thomas Edison, who was offered a one thousand dollar grant to experiment on flying machines.
It was in the early 1920s that things really started to advance, with both engineering knowledge and technology taking huge leaps forward. By 1930, a coaxial helicopter had been built that could fly for almost ten minutes, at altitudes of around sixty feet.
Although the first ‘practical’ helicopter was introduced in 1936, it wouldn’t be until the closing years of World War II that they started being mass-produced. This is why there’s almost no mention of helicopters having been used throughout that war.
From the 1950s onwards, the helicopter industry became a thriving one, with many manufacturers entering the fray. Today, there are hundreds of different models, types, and brands of helicopters.
Taking To The Skies
As time has gone on, helicopters have become more and more sophisticated, but there haven’t been many changes in their drive systems. For decades, helicopters have been powered by the same concepts, machinations, and fuels.
Smaller helicopters will traditionally rely on aviation gasoline, otherwise known as ‘avgas’. This has been a staple for many aircraft since it was invented, way back in the 1940s, but can only be used in piston-powered aircraft.
It’s a particularly complex fuel, being equal parts impressive and volatile. As with regular gasoline, avgas comes in multiple grades, but the majority of the helicopters in the world use a grade noted as 100LL.
When a helicopter reaches a certain size, it’s powered by jet turbines, rather than a piston engine. This kind of engine requires, quite simply, jet fuel – a substance used in every turbine or propeller-driven aircraft on the planet.
Of course, helicopters aren’t the most economical vehicles on the planet, but work has been done to increase their range and capabilities. However, the fuel itself isn’t all that expensive, with avgas being priced at less than five dollars per gallon.
That aspect gets even better if you’re using jet fuel to power your helicopter, as that reportedly starts at less than two dollars a gallon.
Helicopter Hysteria
Today, there’s a dramatic number of helicopters in use around the world, and available to buy on the market. There’s an aircraft for every purpose, whether it’s a cargo, military, passenger, or rescue helicopter.
The most capable helicopters tend to be the military variants, as they boast the furthest range and fastest speeds. For example, Lockheed’s AH-56 Cheyenne, with a maximum range of around 1225 miles, is unbeatable in that respect.
However, one of the biggest markets for helicopters concerns personal usage and ownership. It’s relatively easy to obtain a pilot’s license for a helicopter, and they’re much less expensive than a private plane.
Essentially, you can keep a helicopter anywhere you have space to. They don’t require runways, and they’re subject to fewer regulations and restrictions than traditional aircraft.
You can actually buy a tiny, entry-level enthusiast helicopter for as little as one hundred thousand dollars. Alternatively, you can purchase a 24-passenger, lavishly equipped Eurocopter EC225 for around thirty million dollars, and travel in considerable style.