Swift Fuels expands unleaded 100R avgas approval list at Oshkosh

Swift Fuels announced a significant expansion of FAA approvals for its unleaded 100-octane avgas, known as 100R, ahead of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this year. The FAA published an expanded approved model list under Swift's existing supplemental type certificate just before the show opened, according to the company, adding more than 1,200 engine models and 1,600 airframe models to those already cleared to use the fuel.

Swift Fuels CEO Chris D'Acosta said the update builds on work the company began in 2015, when it started selling an earlier unleaded fuel called UL94. That product's approved model list, covering lower-octane aircraft, served as the starting point for the newer 100-octane formulation's first phase of approvals, he said.

The aircraft and engines now covered by the 100R approval account for an estimated 56 percent of the leaded 100LL fuel typically burned each year by the certificated piston fleet in the United States, according to Swift.

The approval process relies on what is called an approved model list, a regulatory mechanism that lets a single FAA certificate cover broad categories of aircraft rather than requiring separate approvals for each type. Company representatives said this approach let the list grow quickly.

The rollout hasn't been entirely smooth. Some aircraft owners reported difficulty searching the list to confirm whether their specific engine and airframe combination is covered, even after Swift said the tool had improved.

The expansion is part of a broader industry push toward eliminating leaded fuel from general aviation. The source material does not detail a timeline for full replacement of 100LL.