Officials at Arnold AFB, Tenn., are conducting ground testing with an F-100 engine from an F-15 fighter, running it on a new tri-fuel blend that the Air Force is considering introducing to the fleet. The mixture comprises 50 percent regular JP-8 jet fuel, 25 percent bio-fuel derived from animal fat, and 25 percent synthetic paraffinic kerosene produced under the Fischer-Tropsch refining process. “We’re just demonstrating that the engine can successfully perform on the [blend] that we’re testing,” said 2nd Lt. Drew Miller, AEDC’s project manager for this evaluation. Already the C-17 has flown with this mixture. The F-15 is tentatively scheduled to start flying with it in tests in October at Eglin AFB, Fla. (Arnold report Philip Lorenz) (See also Alternative Fuels Initiatives Advance from the Daily Report archives.)
The average age for America’s fleet of F-15C Eagles is about 38 years old, and many of the aircraft’s spare parts are no longer produced or can take days to order from a manufacturer. Luckily, the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing has a metals technology shop at the Portland…