A US Air Force Boeing B-52 has begun cold-weather testing of a 50:50 blend of synthetic and standard jet fuel under a programme to reduce the US military's dependence on imported oil. The aircraft uses a mix of crude oil-based JP-8 and a synthetic fuel produced from natural gas using the Fischer-Tropsch process. Ground testing at extreme low temperatures at Minot AFB in North Dakota is the last step in certification of the fuel.
© US Air Force
|