Final SR-71 Engine Test, Edwards AFB

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 12/17/2013 at 09:32 • Filed to: planelopnik

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"To experience a J58 in full burner close up and personal is hard to describe. Picture a gigantic blow torch, 40 inches in diameter, putting out a blue-yellow-orange flame over 50 feet long. Imagine standing 30 feet from this, feeling the vibration and heat. You wear both foam plugs and earmuffs. Your ears still ring afterward, because the sound is conducted through your body. The back half of the engine transforms from dull gray to bright orange, seemingly transparent. The flame has little three-dimensional diamond shaped shock patterns about every two feet. I lost count at 13. It is both frightening and beautiful, an amazing demonstration of perfectly controlled power. And to think – this was done with 1950s technology."

The test took place on Sept. 12, 2002 and it was also the opportunity for the P&W team to dispose of the remaining stock of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! jet fuel specially formulated for the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! "to withstand both the very cold environment at 80,000 feet and the very hot environment of the engine nacelle."

Via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > ttyymmnn 12/17/2013 at 09:41

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At an outdoor test cell no less. I can only imagine what that would be like in a hush house. I got to do both an engine run & a full aircraft run in high school with the 107th FS's F-16s at Selfridge ANGB in Michigan and that was a rush. A J58 would render me erect for a time frame considered an issue if you took Viagra.

Krieger (@FSKrieger22) > ttyymmnn 12/17/2013 at 10:10

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Question: Is there a picture of a triethylborane shot underway with a J58 engine?

ttyymmnn > Krieger (@FSKrieger22) 12/17/2013 at 10:27

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No idea.

vicariousILive > ttyymmnn 12/17/2013 at 11:38

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I built a hybrid rocket motor in college and when we static fired and the shock wave came into contact us felt like you were cliff jumping. It just gave you that feeling in your gut if you know what I mean. I can't even imagine seeing that J58 fire so close up. I could only imagine it being similar to the face melting action from opening the Ark of the Covenant

doodon2whls > ttyymmnn 12/17/2013 at 12:24

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Yeah, I imagine that would nearly blow you away with sound pressure alone. I've stood next to a T/F dragster launch, a full A/B F-111 low altitude fly by, and have run into a fully involved structure fire.... I imagine witnessing a J58 engine run up at close range would be like experiencing all three at once.

BTW, they may or may not be burning JP-7 in something else incredibly fast nowadays... ;-)

ttyymmnn > doodon2whls 12/17/2013 at 14:16

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BTW, they may or may not be burning JP-7 in something else incredibly fast nowadays... ;-)

What are you suggesting?