Well, it seems the solution to fuel freezing problems inhigh altitude aircraft was in our jeans. Scientists at the University of Daytonhave discovered they can significantly lower the freezing temperatures of jetfuel by treating it with urea, the main ingredient of urine. It seems a littlesquirt in the gas settles out paraffin compounds left over from the refiningprocess. The paraffin gets thick at around minus 40 degrees and can gum up thefuel. In the U-2, the fuel temperatures can drop to minus 135 degrees. The AirForce beats that problem by using specially refined fuel that costs three timesas much as regular fuel. The researchers say they can treat fuel with urea fora fraction of that cost. Maybe what’s in order is a joint venture with the nation’sbreweries …
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Maybe we're scaring student pilots too much about what it's like inside a cloud.
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