Anyone hear use jet fuel in their furnace?

Discussion in 'Burners and their construction' started by Ironsides, Mar 15, 2021.

  1. I had a plastic kit for an A-10 in the early 1980's, my personal plane of choice too, I don't think the F-35 will even come close to replacing it for close air support.
     
  2. Al2O3

    Al2O3 Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Says an F-16 jock with air superiority envy. If you were in the cockpit and it came down to the nut-cutting, I don't think you'd care about the ground time. The early block 16s were light agile aircraft, the later block, not so much and they ate their share of crew time, but still, a great aircraft in their own right.

    Best,
    Kelly
     
  3. Jason

    Jason Gold

    I crewed GE powered block 50's. When I got my first jet it had 600hrs on it and smelled like a new car. I was working swing shift and I could beat the dayshift weenies to the BAR! My poor f15 and A10 buddies were stuck working permanent 12hr shifts. When the 16 broke, it was always for some avionics BS and seldom for anything I had to work on.
     
  4. Al2O3

    Al2O3 Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Won't dispute it at all. 15s and 14s were complex. They got the best of everything we had to offer. Complexity reduces reliability, availability, and increases the cost to keep it in the air. While there are economic realities to war fighting, there are the simple facts to what flying higher, faster, and being more lethal means to war fighting. Above all, acquire the target before it acquires you, whether in the air or on the ground. Anything we could do to give our guys the upper hand in that regard,.....we did it...no apologies. I didn't have an economic payback formula for it. -Let the politicians figure out how to pay for it.

    Best,
    Kelly
     
  5. Ironsides

    Ironsides Silver

    Ha! I had forgotten that you used jet fuel in your furnace. I can see from the replies that there is not much difference in using jet fuel or diesel so I was going to to my local airport to buy some but now there is no need to.
     
  6. Melterskelter

    Melterskelter Gold Banner Member

    The reason to get some is that it can be free as there is a fair bit, by regulation, drained from plane fuel tanks that has to then be disposed of. But it is nothing special otherwise. It works fine, but no better than diesel.

    Denis
     
  7. It used to be that in the 1980's diesel was tax free in Australia if it wasn't used on the road using some sort of permit. These days I think the taxes can be claimed back at tax time, e.g. a commercial fisherman gets his boat fuel at 64 cents per litre once tax is claimed back. It would have to be really cheap jet fuel, say $100 a drum or 50c/litre.
     
  8. Peedee

    Peedee Silver

    I'm just off to hug a Merlin III, well two in fact, in a very British manner (Flat cap, pipe, tie shirt etc...) Keep your nancy modern jet tech I play with avgas, now when is Churchills next broadcast on the BBC?

    I think comments that have been made are entirely relevant with regard to burn rate, BTU, if you can't keep the heat (most of it) in you may as well just be warming up the neighbourhood? What's a thousand BTU between friends.
     
    Mark's castings likes this.
  9. dennis

    dennis Silver

    So how do I get some o' that prime cleaning solvent? (Joke)
     
  10. Of course Jet A is really kerosene. It is a great parts cleaner but down the list a little for furnace fuel. I still covet the ten gallons a friend brought me from an airport. I use it for cutting fluid on aluminum.
     
  11. Jason

    Jason Gold

    It does work really great cutting on aluminum. I don't use it as parts cleaner. That's what avgas is for then everything gets a bath in isopropyl alcohol. I bet I go through 10 gallons around inspection time. First cleaning with avgas cuts down the expense a little.
     
  12. Ethanol is great for machining aluminium if you have to paint it afterwards as there's no solvent residue to affect paint adhesion: WD-40, kerosene and jet fuel do leave residues and take ages to evaporate.
     

Share This Page