Test Facility Resurrected for AFRL
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TULLAHOMA TN Vol. 64, No. 15 Arnold AFB, Tenn. PERMIT NO. 29 August 7, 2017 Test facility resurrected for AFRL- testing of high-efficiency, diesel engine By Deidre Ortiz control systems available, as opposed to AEDC Public Affairs traditionally flawed approaches, which involves automotive conversions,” Gue- Testing for the Graflight V-8, a high- zlow said. “This engine is meant for sin- efficiency, diesel engine designed and gle and twin-engine aircraft applications produced by Engineered Propulsion and will offer dramatically reduced fuel Systems (EPS), has brought about the consumption.” reopening of the AEDC T-11 engine test He added that the EPS team “feels cell at Arnold Air Force Base. very fortunate” to have the opportunity to Prior to this, T-11 had not been testing test at Arnold AFB, as AEDC test facili- in at least a decade. ties are able to reach higher altitudes than EPS project manager Tom Guelzow any previous tests of the engine. explained that the testing at T-11 was “Here [at Arnold AFB] we can hit any sponsored by the Air Force Research altitude we want to relatively quickly,” Laboratory (AFRL), Advanced Power Guezlow said. “Start to finish, it has been Technology Office (APTO), Broad Area great working with the AEDC team. Ev- Announcement (BAA), which focuses on erything we have been doing out here is the research and development of engines brand new for us.” that use a variety of fuels more efficiently. One huge milestone for EPS was hav- “EPS submitted a successful propos- ing the engine operating successfully at al and subsequent award as part of the conditions of 30,000 feet altitude. AFRL Alternative Energy BAA which “We ramped up from level or sea level provided funding for testing at Arnold to 30,000 feet in T-11 and back down, AFB,” he said. which was groundbreaking for us,” he EPS, founded by Michael Fuchs and said. Steve Weinzierl, is a small start-up com- Capt. Randall Hodkin, the APTO pro- pany based out of New Richmond, Wis- gram manager, commented that, “Testing consin. conducted in T-11 was an important step Guezlow said getting this far in test- in collecting data to clear this innovative ing the engine is part of a 27-month ef- engine for future flight tests and was also fort, and the goal for EPS is to validate a critical step in showing the engines ca- engine performance of the Graflight V-8 pabilities at altitudes previously unattain- prior to flight testing it later this year. able to the team.” “After flight testing, we would then John Kelly, AEDC test project man- conduct complete accelerated mission ager, stated that the EPS engine test has testing of the engine,” he said. also included a lot of firsts for AEDC. The EPS engine Graflight V-8 is “The facility hasn’t been running in unique in that it’s a clean sheet design. at least 10 years and this test has been a “The EPS Graflight engine is unique learning process for us too in that it’s a The recent testing for the Graflight V-8, a high-efficiency, diesel engine de- to aero applications and incorporates small, diesel engine, and instead of taking signed and produced by Engineered Propulsion Systems, has brought about the most advanced mechanical design, the reopening of the AEDC T-11 engine test cell at Arnold Air Force Base. Prior to this test, T-11 had not been air-on in about a decade. Pictured here is the EPS combustion technology and electronic See TESTING, page 2 Graflight V-8 engine in the T-11 test cell. (AEDC photo) AEDC Commander Col. Scott Cain introduces himself, outlines his plans By Deidre Ortiz AEDC Public Affairs hat we do July was a busy month at Arnold Wat AEDC is Air Force Base, with Col. Rodney To- so important to daro passing the AEDC guidon over to new Commander, Col. Scott Cain. the nation and our As a way to introduce himself to the commitment to that workforce at Arnold, Col. Cain pro- ” mission is vital. vided information through a “Who am I?” presentation during a recent Com- mander’s Call meeting. test pilot One of Cain’s first comments em- school phasized the importance of colleagues and con- interacting and knowing each other. ducted “We need to be connected,” he said. flight “ “We need to know each other as Air- tests with men.” the F-16 He went on to clarify that his defini- and the tion of “big A, Airman” includes uni- F-35 Joint formed members, civilians and con- Strike tractors alike. Fighter. Born and raised in Michigan, Col. He has Lt. Col. Hoffman becomes Cain said he was a big fan of Univer- served at Col. Scott Cain, sity of Michigan sports teams. Edwards AEDC Commander “I was born in Michigan and I Air Force director of the Flight Systems still have family there,” he said. “But Base twice, Holloman Air Force Base, I didn’t actually go to University of and the Pentagon, before landing at Ar- Combined Test Force Michigan. I went to the Air Force nold. Lt. Col. David Hoffman, right, becomes director of the Flight Systems Combined Academy and was an operational F-16 “I love it here so far,” he said. And while he’s served in many Test Force (TSTW) during a Change of Directorship ceremony July 21 inside the [Fighting Falcon] and F-117 [Night- Model Installation Building, part of the Propulsion Wind Tunnel Test Facility, at hawk] pilot.” places across the Air Force, Cain stated the most important aspect of his life is Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee. Col. Timothy West, (left) chief of the AEDC “I had some time flying those weap- Test Operations Division, passes the TSTW guidon to Hoffman as 1st Lt. Roy on systems before I moved on to flight his family, which consists of his wife Fisher, looks on. The Flight Systems CTF provides aerodynamic ground-test test.” capabilities from low subsonic to hypersonic speeds in various wind tunnels Cain also mentioned he went into See COMMANDER, page 2 and supports Department of Defense, U.S. industry and international aerospace programs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Rick Goodfriend) Cadets take flight as part of Glider AEDC quarterly award Academy held in Tullahoma winners announced …Page 3 …Page 9 2 • August 7, 2017 Arnold Air Force Team members receive Base opportunity to innovate By AEDC Innovation Grant Program vation is defined using existing knowledge, and contractors, including Air Force Research technologies, and tools to create or deliver Laboratory partners. All team members shall Over the past few years the Complex has something new in terms of product or process seek approval for participation from their su- operated a successful innovation grant pro- for improving some element of AEDC’s per- pervision and include the approval with the Col. Scott Cain gram, in various forms, that contributes to the formance. proposal. Commander investment in the future of AEDC. This is not a program where studies, pa- Time charges for AF team members is to The Complex will continue with the spirit pers or opinions are likely to be the products. be charged to an AF cost account specified by Jason Austin and intent of that program in order to main- There should be a unique product or process their supervision and is not normally charge- Chief, tain momentum, grow the knowledge and demonstration as the intended deliverable for able to the project. Public Affairs skills of the workforce, and of course to capi- each proposal. This is not simply a different Individual employees or employee teams talize on any expected improvements in effec- source of funds to procure what we already may submit proposals for innovation proj- tiveness or efficiency as a result of successful have as requirements, but rather a source of ects to address specific emphasis areas. In innovations. funds to exert some effort to find out if there some cases proposals may address more than Cynthia Rivera This does not imply that all innovation are better, faster, or cheaper ways to satisfy one area. In each area, the proposal does not General Manager, projects are expected to be successful in a tra- requirements, or maybe even prove that they have to identify the solution, but rather clearly National Aerospace ditional sense; as a rule, we most often learn Solutions could be eliminated with minimal impact. define the problem or challenge and the ap- the most from our failures. The goal of this High Mach Staff: All government, Test, Operations and Sus- proach to developing or delivering a proto- program is to create an environment that al- tainment Contract and Eglin Operations and type solution. It is expected that significant ef- Kathy Gattis, lows the workforce to pursue significant tech- Maintenance Services Contract, non-manag- fort will be required in each case to fully char- NAS Executive Editor nical risk on small scales to evaluate the ef- er, full-time employees working at any AEDC acterize the challenge and the plausible range Raquel March, ficacy of substantial changes in the processes, site – including Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9, of solutions for pursuit and development. It is NAS Editor tools, and technology used to conduct work Hypersonic Combined Test Force, Holloman expected that proposals will reflect the desires High Mach is published by across AEDC. Air Force Base, Eglin Air Force Base, and the and emphasis of the proposer, and that this Lakeway Publishers, Inc. a pri- vate firm in no way connected The program will provide modest fund- National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex – may not align with the emphasis of supervi- with the U.S.