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In all of these publications 100 octane fuel and +12 is only a "minor footnote" and the "All out" limit is given as +6 1/4.
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In the January 1942 edition it is definitely NOT a minor footnote. It is included in paragraph 1 above the operating limitations. They even specify January 1942 -
ALL OPERATIONAL UNITS: 100 Octane ONLY
The technical order for this modification was not published until February 20, 1940.
This is not a minor modification nor is it an easy one from a manufacturing standpoint. Cylinder heads are a major component. Two heads have to be produced for every engine on the assembly line. All of the engines in the RAF inventory also have to have new cylinder heads produced as well. It is not going to happen overnight.
Milo Morani posted the instructions for Pilot Operating Notes earlier in this thread. The way it works is any technical instructions or service bulletins kept with the Operating Notes and act as updates as they are published.
When a new edition of the Operating Notes is published, all technical instructions issued since the previous Operating Notes edition are incorporated into the new edition of the Operating Notes.
That means we should see a mirror reflection of the January 1942 Operating Notes in our June 1940 edition if 100 Octane fuel was the standard and our technical instruction dated February 20, 1940 was intended for all operational aircraft.
Our June 1940 notes should alert the pilot in the operating that 100 Octane is the fuel for ALL OPERATIONAL UNITS just like the January 1942 edition IF 100 Octane is the standard fuel in use.
June 1940 Edition:
They do not reflect anything about 100 Octane fuel in the operating limits and nothing about it being for ALL OPERATIONAL UNITS.
This timeline of a gradual phase in of 100 Octane fuel begining in June 1940, becoming significant in October 1940, and operational conversion by December 1940 is evident from two sources.
You can see this in the Pilot's Operating Notes and the amount of fuel available at the airfields prior to June 1940. 100 Octane use is insignificant until October 1940. Proir to June 1940 we do not see a “combined” amount available at the airfields unless folks are now going to start claiming 100 Octane was in widespread use in 1938!!
I am sure that will be the next argument.
