[Flightdeck]

“They are already using 50/50 FT for all our bombers.”

No, they’ve only had one flight test of a B-52 with 50/50 Fischer Tropsch/JP-8. They’re moving towards it, though.

[FreeAtlanta]

This is probably going to cause a lot of damage to the aircraft and cost more in the long run. Liberals are dangerous to national security.

If performance is better, then do it, otherwise forget it. Well, I do agree with testing it for 6 or 7 years on airfarce 1, as long as the pilots and aircrew have parachutes.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

SECAF certifies Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuel blends for B-52H

Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne announced the completion of the Air Force’s certification of Fischer-Tropsch fuel blends in the B-52H during a signing ceremony here today.

The signing ceremony certified that the blended FT and JP-8 fuel is safe for operational use in all B-52H aircraft and marked the formal conclusion of testing.

“The demonstration approach approved by Secretary Wynne in April 2006 identified five execution steps,” said Maj. Gen. Curtis Bedke, Air Force Flight Test Center commander. “The final execution step began on Sept. 19, 2006. A B-52 was flown at Edwards with two engines running synthetic fuel and the remaining six engines on JP-8 fuel. On Dec. 19, 2006, the B-52 was flown with all eight engines on the FT blend.”

The B-52H was chosen as the test platform because of key advantages such as its eight engines, he said. The fuel system can simultaneously isolate, carry and manage both a test fuel and the standard JP-8 fuel.

http://www.edwards.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123063849