Q&A · 6:00:55-6:03:35

Keeping a Nimitz air wing flying in 1941

A modern carrier could specify a workable substitute for JP-5 or Jet A, but additives, spare parts, and maintenance would soon limit its air wing.

Question

In The Final Countdown scenario, could Nimitz keep its air wing operating beyond December 1941 after its jet fuel ran out?

Short answer

It could obtain an approximate aviation fuel, but additives, spare parts, and maintenance would soon become the binding constraints.

Notes

The carrier brings laboratories, technical standards, and personnel able to tell a 1941 refinery what fuel characteristics its aircraft require. Period refining could probably produce an approximate kerosene fuel, though some additives would be difficult and engines might need reduced power settings. The air wing would not need afterburner performance against 1941 opponents, which eases the fuel-quality problem. The harder long-term constraint would be modern spare parts and scheduled servicing that no contemporary industrial base could immediately reproduce.