B-52 Flys Using Synthetic Fuel Only

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B-52 Flys Using Synthetic Fuel Only

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Air Force Print News | December 18, 2006

Edwards AFB, CA. -- A B-52 Stratofortress took off Dec. 15 on a flight-test mission using a blend of synthetic fuel and JP-8 in all eight engines. This is the first time a B-52 has flown using a synfuel blend as the only fuel on board. In September, the Air Force successfully flew a B-52 with two-engines using the synfuel-blend while the others used standard fuel.

"The B-52 test flights at Edwards Air Force Base are the initial steps in the Air Force process to test and certify a synthetic blend of fuel for its aviation fleet," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne. "We are confident that the success of this flight will bring us one step closer to allowing a domestic source of synthetic fuel to accomplish the Air Force mission in the future."

The first B-52 flight using Fischer-Tropsch fuel occurred Sept. 19 at Edwards.

Today's flight further demonstrates the Air Force's commitment to using alternate fuels and is the next step in the testing and certification process before the fuel can go into widespread use, officials said.

According to William Anderson, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics, the Air Force has reinvigorated its energy strategy which is underpinned by supply-side availability and semand-side conservation.

"The Air Force is moving forward in its commitment to certify alternative sources of fuel for both its aircraft and ground vehicles fleet," said Mr. Anderson.

Maj. Gen. Curtis Bedke, Air Force Flight Test commander, is flying the aircraft to assess how well the aircraft performs using the synthetic blend of fuel.

The next test phase for the B-52 will be cold-weather testing to determine how well the synfuel-blend performs in extreme weather conditions.
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Post by Sandrat »

When we make te B-52 fly on canola oil, now that would be news!
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Post by Spanky »

How about ethanol? The air ove the sand box would smell like peanuts...:)
"We only have a short time to live, so it is essential to do things that are worthwhile and to do them now."Lord Baden-Powell

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Post by b52murph »

When I was working (Maintenance Officer) the BUFF @ Minot AFB ND, in the late '90s we had a saying--"When the last B-1B and B-2 fly to the boneyard, the crew will be picked up in a B-52!"

Long live the BUFF!

BTW...then-Col Curtis Bedke had just given up command of the 5th Ops Group when I got to Minot in '96. Great times...Great times!
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Post by 1MileCrash »

it's amazing that such an old platform can be upgraded to serve over what...half a century now...and still remain effective and with yet another upgrade will extend it's service life once again. i don't know if the original engineers planned that their plane would last this long...but boy no bet they are proud.
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Post by b52murph »

1MileCrash wrote:it's amazing that such an old platform can be upgraded to serve over what...half a century now...and still remain effective and with yet another upgrade will extend it's service life once again. i don't know if the original engineers planned that their plane would last this long...but boy no bet they are proud.
I'm certain they didn't, but the 'H' models still have a lot of life left in them. Since they spent much of the '60s-'80s sitting on alert, many don't have that many flying hours on them. Our lowest-time jet only had 7,000-8,000 hours on the airframe at that time. If we ever get the new engines (:-)), that will seal the BUFF's future to 2040. Of course, we were talking about new engines 10+ years ago, and they still hasn't been funded. GRRR.
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Post by 1MileCrash »

b52murph wrote:
1MileCrash wrote:it's amazing that such an old platform can be upgraded to serve over what...half a century now...and still remain effective and with yet another upgrade will extend it's service life once again. i don't know if the original engineers planned that their plane would last this long...but boy no bet they are proud.
I'm certain they didn't, but the 'H' models still have a lot of life left in them. Since they spent much of the '60s-'80s sitting on alert, many don't have that many flying hours on them. Our lowest-time jet only had 7,000-8,000 hours on the airframe at that time. If we ever get the new engines (:-)), that will seal the BUFF's future to 2040. Of course, we were talking about new engines 10+ years ago, and they still hasn't been funded. GRRR.
still hasn't been funded but look at the way they are still able to perform their job and how they are able to be a flexible launch platform from everything from dumb bombs, to laser guided munitions, to cruise missiles. would the starfighter or delta dagger still be effective weapons platforms today? i think not. that's what makes the b-52 so incredible.
Space Camp - July 1997, Titusville, FL, Team Orion
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