Alternative fuel arrives for future testing at Arnold
The Secretary of the Air Force, Michael W. Wynne, signed a certification in August that the blended synthetic Fischer-Tropsch (FTP) fuel and JP-8 fuel blended in a 50-50 percent ratio is safe for operational use in B-52H aircraft. In November, AEDC will test the F101 engine, which powers the B-1 bomber, with FT blended fuel. Tech. Sgt. Michael Dambrino, 704th Mission Support Group, Logistics office, watches as Aerospace Testing Alliance's Sam McKelvey operates the fuel additive injection rig, which adds chemicals to the FT fuel to prevent corrosion and icing, while improving the lubricity of the fuel. The Air Force plans to certify the entire fleet on the blended synthetic fuel by 2011 to help reduce the service’s dependency upon foreign oil.