Bluebird K7 Fuel

[conistoncollie]

According to Neil Sheppard's book, K7 was supplied with BP Shell-Mex AVTUR DERD 2494 Aviation Kerosene (225 gallons - or five 45 gallon drums) delivered 8th November 1966, presumably intended to be sufficient to achieve the record in a few runs.

Given Bluebird Project team's experience with running the new Orph's, how many runs and engine tests would that give? Not sure what sort of MPG you get with a flat-out Orpheus. With all the unforeseen problems, did the initial supply of Avtur run out prematurely?

I ask because one of the memories of the late — and well-respected engineer — Dick Ransome, published in the North West Evening Mail, is that the aviation fuel they would have preferred to use had to be substituted for cheaper and more easily obtained TVO (Tractor Vaporising Oil) collected with a Land Rover from the West Cumberland Farmers' depot at Lindal, Ulverston, in 45 gallon drums. In essence tractor fuel, with a Bristol Siddeley engineer brought in to adjust the fuel metering to enable it to run on TVO. I have also been told it was 'central heating oil' by a local who was involved with the 1966 attempt.

All agree it was delivered in 45 gallon drums, and it had to be manually pumped into the boat. I was told a story last time I was in Coniston, that a local engineer who ran a garage in Keswick — seeing the team struggle with manual pumping — went away and made an electric pump which made the task easier.

Did the AVTUR run out, with TVO used as replacement for later (and final) runs? Any experts/historians able to clarify?

[Renegadenemo]

From our experience of running not only an Orph' but one with the original fuel system feeding it I'm sure the guys will confirm that 5 drums of kero would last no time at all. Most of our running was only to idle or 40% too.
The standard burning oil or central heating oil is exactly the same stuff, except perhaps for the possible addition of lubricity agents, but the only difference is how it is handled and dye is added to the domestic heating oil for tax reasons. Other than that it's identical.
Seeing as the tank held 56 imperial gallons that would wipe out a drum on its own and I'd wager there'd be none left after a trip down the lake and back.
We once connected up a drum and drained it dry so maybe Mike still has enough info to work out our duration on that - it wasn't long and that was mostly at idle or close to idle.