Another SR-71 thread

This was a badass plane to see in person. If you are ever over on the west coast I suggest you visit Boeings museum.

originally posted by: Barnalby
a reply to: pteridine

So JP-7 was basically the jet fuel equivalent of high-performance synthetic motor oil?

That is one way of describing it. It is a blend of fairly specific components that have been produced from petroleum by various processes and subsequent separations. These are combined in proper proportions to produce the fuel with desired characteristics.

a reply to: Vroomfondel

Wasn't there a large procurement of jp7 fuel a few years back that wasn't explained?

a reply to: pigsy2400

It was an awfully small amount for a truely operational program. It's likely it all went into hypersonics testing.
The thing to take away from that one however - the capability the produce JP7 still exists and fuel production for a classified program would obviously be classified as well.

a reply to: mightmight

Ahh thanks, I can remember reading it up a while back. Your explanation does make sense

a reply to: pteridine

So exactly like a synthetic oil. Cool stuff.

I'm honestly amazed that aircraft fuel has been more or less unchanged since the early 20th century. You'd think that in the name of efficiency and/or cleaner, more predictable burning, that there would be more JP-7 style synthetic fuel blends introduced to the market, but so far, you only really seem to see them in some corners of auto racing and, of course, the A-12 family of aircraft.

a reply to: mightmight

I remember hearing something here about how they never retired the JP-7 compatible KC-135s.

originally posted by: mightmight
a reply to: pigsy2400

It was an awfully small amount for a truely operational program. It's likely it all went into hypersonics testing.
The thing to take away from that one however - the capability the produce JP7 still exists and fuel production for a classified program would obviously be classified as well.

Don’t know if it still does but the u-2 also username jp7.

a reply to: B2StealthBomber

Really? In any case, one job of the remaining KC135Ts should be refueling the U-2s.

I visited the crash site of SR-71 #61-7965 in June. North of Fallon, NV

a reply to: Barnalby

No reason to. There are going to be other aircraft in the future that require non- JP8 fuel. The -135 will be around a long time still.

originally posted by: Barnalby
a reply to: mightmight

I remember hearing something here about how they never retired the JP-7 compatible KC-135s.

I see one on "ADSB Exchange"/Flightaware once in a while.
#61-0320
If you Google that tail number, you can see a picture of it refueling an SR-71 on habu.org
It shows as being operated by the 418th Flight Test Squadron out of Edwards.
Every time I see it up, I wonder if it is refueling some test article.

a reply to: B2StealthBomber

They actually didn't. There's a reference to Jet Propellant Thermally Stable when talking about the fuel used during the Aquatone program, but the U-2 used JPTS MIL-F-25524. JP-7 was MIL-T 38219.