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 incoming head of the 7th Air Force will face an intense mission while relying on 4th-generation fighters to stave off looming threats from North Korea and China.