High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! MW 50 was a 50-50 mixture of methanol and water that was sprayed into the supercharger of World War II German aircraft engines primarily for its anti-detonant effect, allowing the use of increased boost pressures. Secondary effects were cooling of the engine and charge cooling. Higher boost was only effective at altitudes below the full-throttle height, where the supercharger could still provide additional boost pressure that was otherwise wasted, while the smaller secondary effects were useful even above that altitude.