Present Day Lubricants for Utility Aircraft Engines 670248
At the present time, there are four basic kinds of oils available for utility aircraft piston engines; two of these can be considered major types and two minor, but of considerable interest. These are: nonadditive straight mineral oil; ashless dispersant mineral oils; metallic additive detergent mineral oils; synthetic oils.
This paper discusses the merits of each of these major types of oil and compares their relative advantages in several categories. The paper also develops some of the reasons why the ashless dispersant mineral oils have made such gains in usage since introduced to the market in 1958.
There is also a discussion and clarification of the terms “dispersant” and “detergent” as applied to additive oils.
