This is the amazing Lockheed Martin SR-72—the space Blackbird

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


I realize that, my main point was that they used their special capabilities to re-fuel something out at Edwards back then.

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


.......but there has been something flying that took JP-7 other than the SR-71 that required the T models.
Page 24 of this thread......

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Sammamishman
reply to post by boomer135




Are able to allude to weather you have ever had to refuel something that used JP-7 in your career? K

You mean besides the SR-71? Yeah...)

.......but there has been something flying that took JP-8 other than the SR-71 that required the T models.

reply to post by Sammamishman


As is pointed out a few posts after that - "ordinary jets" can use JP-7 too.

JohnnySasaki
I don't know why they would have decommissioned the SR-71 if they didn't already have a replacement. I bet this has been flying since then. 2018 my a**. Why would they tell us about it if it was the new hotness? Most likely old news. Wasn't the F-117 flying forever before they let us know about it?

A couple of years isn't quite "forever", and there had been reasonably good evidence about the technology fo a decade before then!

Stealthbomber
reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul

 

I realize that, my main point was that they used their special capabilities to re-fuel something out at Edwards back then.

"Back then" being the early-mid 90's if I understand the time frame being discussed properly?

Why would that not be SR71's, since they were in service until 1998, and 1999 with NASA at Dryden - which is inside Edwards??

Aloysius the Gaul
reply to post by Sammamishman

 

As is pointed out a few posts after that - "ordinary jets" can use JP-7 too.

From my understanding yes, regular jets *can* use it, but it has a very high flash point. It would require the jet to already be flying, and the engines hot. Is that correct?

Is JP-7 the replacement for zip fuel?

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


Ordinary jets can use JP-7 but can't start the aircraft with a tank of it. It wasn't the SR-71 it was another project out of Edwards that was being refueled with by the KC-135T's.

reply to post by Stealthbomber


Got it...so I was right that they have to already be flying to use it.

Who knows, maybe they had a ton of it left over and decided not to waste it and use it for mid-air refueling in other planes?

reply to post by MystikMushroom


Yes that is my understanding too - wasn't trying to suggest otherwise.

reply to post by MystikMushroom


The tankers used to occasionally blend the -7 into the JP-4 that was used at the time to ignite it, then switch to straight -7.

The SR used TEB to ignite it. If you look at pics and video of engine start on one you'll see a green flash that's the TEB , then the flame of the engine igniting.

reply to post by MystikMushroom


Yeah that's correct, I'm not entirely sure of the flash point of JP-7 but how it works is your Flashpoint is when your fuel is at temp where it will give off enough vapours to generate a flammable fuel/air mixture. Once it's past that any little spark will ignite it.

So once your up flying and the engines are hot you would be able to keep the fuel hot enough to burn.

SonofaSkunk
Have Blue first flew in late 1977. F-117 operational in the early 80s. Went public in 1988. Retired 2008.

Okay, when was the SR-71 revealed?

reply to post by JohnnySasaki


The SR-71 was revealed almost as soon as it was declared operational.

Zaphod58
reply to post by JohnnySasaki

 

The SR-71 was revealed almost as soon as it was declared operational.

Really? All the way back in 1964? That seems fairly stupid actually.

reply to post by JohnnySasaki


Actually I was wrong, it was revealed before it ever flew. The mock up was revealed in 1962, it was announced by the President in July 1964, the prototype was delivered in October, first flight was December.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Indeed - it is a common fallacy raised by people who believe that long term secret projects are kept hidden for decades.

Here's video of Johnson making the announcement:

some can be hidden for decades they just might have something now that might not ever be seen or recognized until late in the future or even something they made in the past and it could be anything.

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


I'm don't think an "ordinary jet" is what Boomer was referring to....I could be wrong but I'll let Boomer correct me if I am and he reads this post.

If they are showing this to the public, and it looks like something out of scifi, then I wonder what else they have that they aren't showing us....Lockheed Martin concept..yeh right...

As they say, the military is many many years ahead of the rest of society technologically..

scifi thats whats future aviation is basically based on at some occasions don't you agree? i saw some pictures of confirmed built flying disc that the us air force built in from the 1940's up. i know it sound ridiculous but i think it may also be true.