Fighter Jet Engine Afterburner Test

J79 with afterburner at the S&S Turbines open-air test cell in Ft. St. John B.C.
Taken from a Kfir fighter, after it had suffered damage.
The compressor rotor was destroyed by FOD (foreign object debris) ingestion, and was completely replaced.

This is the same engine as that in the F-104, F-4, B-58, and some early F-16s.

The "smoke" you see coming from the engine at full power/afterburner is not smoke, but unburnt fuel. The afterburner in these shots is spraying fuel into the jetpipe, but the igniter in not functioning. What you see is 50 gallons per minute of jet fuel being blown out the nozzle.

Later shots show the afterburner functioning.

Comments are welcome, and questions will be answered

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• J79
• jet
• turbine
• afterburner
• reheat
• Kfir
• S&S
• Turbines
• F-104
• F-4
• B-58
• power
• gas
• kerosene
• diesel
• fuel
• throttle
• fast
• mach
• starfighter
• phantom
• GE
• IAE
• fire
• relight
• burn
• aircraft
• fighter
• engine
• test
• nozzle
• heatilon

[Volans2000]

Not much grass growing to where the jet points, or is it? :D

[AgentJayZ]

@Volans2000 Actually, for almost all of our tests, the grass is damaged by high wind but survives. The afterburner tests produce too much heat for it, and a large delta-shaped scar of dead grass is noiceable for weeks afterwards.

[crotchboots]

shouldnt there be a projectile proof wall between the control shack and the engine? just in case it grenades on you...

[AgentJayZ]

@crotchboots what's a projectile proof wall? 2 feet thick reinforced concrete might stop a small piece of a turbine disc, if it were to fail, but there are projectiles that would pass through it with ease.

The control room is not in the plane of rotation of the turbine, so no wall needed.

No grenades, either.

[MikeSVOR]

What is the white smoke coming out before the afterburner lights? Is that raw fuel or water vapor? Why?

[AgentJayZ]

@MikeSVOR I think it's explained in the info section, but it is indeed a fog of unlit fuel because the AB ignitor is not working. We apply a few repairs and a bit of magic, and the beast roars to life.

If you spray fuel into a jet engine exhaust, it won't ignite by itself.

[AgentJayZ]

@kevinatucla When the engine is idling, it is moving very little air.

It sounds like it will eat you, but it won't.

[bartij]

Good way to clear snow ;-P

[Volans2000]

@AgentJayZ Well, think about it! Through natural selection, which makes the strongest grass to survive, you are creating a new jet engine-resiliant grass species! :D One that will have nickel alloy leaves. :P

[wingnut0837]

Bloody hell.

[bigrandom77777]

I should build one in my garage to clear the snow off my driveway every day ;)