January 31, 2024- No. 05 In This Issue : Amelia Earhart's long-lost plane possibly detected by sonar 16,000 feet underwater, exploration team claims : Georgia now home to world’s first sustainable jet fuel factory : FAA clears path for Boeing Max 9 jets to fly, but blocks production expansion : Long Beach Subsidizes Unleaded Avgas : Owl flight whispers secrets of silent jet design to Japanese researchers : Northrop Grumman, AT&T and SEMPRE Demonstrate Next-Generation Flightline Maintenance Operations : Understanding how modern airliner wings respond to dynamic loads when carrying fuel : Working at Lockheed Martin : Pre-Filled Oil Filters: Proper Prep Or Premature Engine Killer? : B1 bomber plane arrives in Wichita after four day trek from Texas Amelia Earhart's long-lost plane possibly detected by sonar 16,000 feet underwater, exploration team claims By Stephen Smith Updated on: January 30, 2024 / 10:30 AM EST / CBS News Amelia Earhart's disappearance over the central Pacific Ocean 87 years ago remains one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history. Countless theories about her fate have emerged in the decades since, but now a deep-sea exploration team searching for the wreckage of her small plane has provided another potential clue — including a new video released Monday. Deep Sea Vision, a Charleston, South Carolina-based team, said this weekend that it had captured a sonar image in the Pacific Ocean that "appears to be Earhart's Lockheed 10-E Electra" aircraft. The company, which says it scanned over 5,200 square miles of the ocean floor starting in September, posted sonar images on social media that appear to show a plane-shaped object resting at the bottom of the sea. The 16-member team, which used a state-of-the-art underwater drone during the search, also released a new video of the expedition Monday evening, showing the team reviewing images taken by a submersible. "After an extensive deep-water search, a talented group of underwater archaeologists and marine robotics experts have unveiled a sonar image that may answer the greatest modern mystery — the disappearance of Amelia Earhart," Deep Sea Vision wrote on Instagram. Deep Sea Vision said that it had captured a sonar image in the Pacific Ocean that "appears to be Earhart's Lockheed 10-E Electra" aircraft. DEEP SEA VISION Tony Romeo, a pilot and former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, told the Wall Street Journal that he funded the $11 million search by selling off his commercial real estate properties. "This is maybe the most exciting thing I'll ever do in my life," he told the Journal. "I feel like a 10-year-old going on a treasure hunt." Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared on July 2, 1937, while flying over the Pacific Ocean during Earhart's attempt to become the first female aviator to circle the globe. They vanished without a trace, spurring the largest and most expensive search and rescue effort by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard in American history. Earhart and Noonan were declared dead two years later. Multiple deep-sea searches using high-tech equipment have tried but failed over the years to find Earhart's plane. Romeo told the Journal that his team's underwater "Hugin" submersible captured the sonar image of the aircraft-shaped object about 16,000 feet below the Pacific Ocean's surface less than 100 miles from Howland Island, where Earhart and Noonan were supposed to stop and refuel before they vanished. Romeo's team didn't find the image until about three months into the trip, and at that stage it was impractical to turn back, he told the Journal, so they intend to return for a closer look. Sonar experts told the Journal that only a closer look for details matching Earhart's Lockheed aircraft would provide definitive proof. "Until you physically take a look at this, there's no way to say for sure what that is," underwater archaeologist Andrew Pietruszka told the newspaper. There other theories about where Earhart may have vanished. Ric Gillespie, who has researched Earhart's doomed flight for decades, told CBS News in 2018 that he had proof Earhart crash-landed on Gardner Island — about 350 nautical miles from Howland Island — and that she called for help for nearly a week before her plane was swept out to sea. Gillespie told CBS News the calls weren't just heard by the Navy, but also by dozens of people who unexpectedly picked up Earhart's transmissions on their radios thousands of miles away. Reports of people hearing calls for help were documented in places like Florida, Iowa and Texas. One woman in Canada reported hearing a voice saying "we have taken in water… We can't hold on much longer." Gillespie's organization, the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, has also claimed that it found forensic evidence, including bones on the island, that were likely Earhart's. Still, nearly 90 years later, no wreckage has ever been found, and Romeo thinks his team's sonar image may finally show the long-lost aircraft. Romeo, who was joined on the expedition by two of his brothers who are also pilots, told the Journal that their aviation expertise provided a fresh perspective during the search. "We always felt that a group of pilots were the ones that are going to solve this, and not the mariners," Romeo told the newspaper. Georgia now home to world’s first sustainable jet fuel factory By Benjamin Payne January 25, 2024| Updated: 5 days ago LanzaJet's Freedom Pines facility is located in Soperton, Georgia, about halfway between Savannah and Macon. (Credit: LanzaJet) Georgia is now home to the world’s first sustainable jet fuel factory to use “alcohol-to-jet” technology, which converts ethanol to lower-carbon jet fuel for commercial aircraft. Suburban Chicago-based LanzaJet unveiled on Wednesday its Freedom Pines facility in rural Soperton, about halfway between Savannah and Macon, before an audience of more than 200 people including state and federal government leaders. Known within the aviation and energy industries as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the fuel produced at Freedom Pines will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% compared to conventional jet fuel, according to LanzaJet. “It’s importantly a milestone for us as an industry because we’ve been working together to do this for 14 years,” said LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis, referring to the company’s research and development in collaboration with the federal government’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “It’s an impact on aviation sustainability, clean tech, agricultural climate, tech industries across the board.” Freedom Pines will produce 9 million gallons of SAF and 1 million gallons of renewable diesel fuel each year. Much of the ethanol used in the process will come from feedstocks such as corn and soybeans sold to the company by farmers, as well as niche crops meant specifically for SAF, such as carinata. The federal government, in 2021, released a plan for the aviation sector to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions within the industry by 2050. The plan defines greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. “If we’re really to mitigate the consequences of a changing climate, the transportation sector clearly has to get to a net-zero future,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said at the event. “In order for it to get to a net-zero future, aviation has to get there as well. And it can’t get there without a sustainable aviation fuel.” The local Treutlen County economy will see an estimated $5 million in new wages and $70 million in annual economic activity, according to LanzaJet. Freedom Pines will create 30 direct jobs and 30-50 indirect jobs during its ongoing operations. “They’re joining the ranks of many others that are coming here as a result of Georgia being such a great place to do business,” Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols, a Republican, said. “I mean, would you ever think that a ruby-red state like Georgia would capture so much of this clean energy money? Rivian Hyundai, SK Battery, the largest solar plant in North America. We are just gobbling it up.” Construction of Freedom Pines, which began in August 2022, is mostly complete. LanzaJet expects to begin production of SAF by the end of March. The world’s first transatlantic flight powered entirely by SAF took off from Georgia last November when a Gulfstream jet performed an experimental flight from its Savannah headquarters to Farnborough Airport near London. FAA clears path for Boeing Max 9 jets to fly, but blocks production expansion The Max 9 jets must first pass an "inspection and maintenance process" before they can take to the skies By Stepheny Price FOXBusiness Boeing CEO: We believe in our airlines' safety FOX Business correspondent Hillary Vaughn presses the company following their mechanical failure on 'The Claman Countdown.' More than a hundred Boeing 737 Max 9 jets that were grounded following a near-disaster onboard a recent Alaska Airlines flight have been cleared to resume flying following an inspection and maintenance process, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Wednesday. The FAA also informed Boeing on Wednesday it will not grant any production expansion of the MAX, including the 737-9 MAX. This action comes on top of the FAA’s investigation and ramped-up oversight of Boeing and its suppliers. The FAA also approved a thorough inspection and maintenance process that must be performed on each of the grounded 171 Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft. Upon successful completion, the aircraft will be eligible to return to service. "We grounded the Boeing 737-9 MAX within hours of the incident over Portland and made clear this aircraft would not go back into service until it was safe," FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said. "The exhaustive, enhanced review our team completed after several weeks of information gathering gives me and the FAA confidence to proceed to the inspection and maintenance phase. Whitaker added that this still isn't a green light for Boeing. "However, let me be clear: This won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing. We will not agree to any request from Boeing for an expansion in production or approve additional production lines for the 737 MAX until we are satisfied that the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved." Following the completion of the enhanced maintenance and inspection process on each aircraft, the door plugs on the 737-9 MAX will be in compliance with the original design which is safe to operate, the FAA said. Officials added that the aircraft will not operate until the process is complete and compliance with the original design is confirmed. The FAA said this process will require an inspection of specific bolts, guide tracks and fittings, detailed visual inspections of left and right mid-cabin exit door plugs and dozens of associated components, retorquing fasteners, and correcting any damage or abnormal conditions. "The quality assurance issues we have seen are unacceptable," said Whitaker said after the Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft was grounded in early January. "That is why we will have more boots on the ground closely scrutinizing and monitoring production and manufacturing activities." The FAA added that Boeing’s safety management processes and how they affect Boeing’s safety culture is also under review. Long Beach Subsidizes Unleaded Avgas By Russ Niles Published: January 28, 2024 Updated: January 29, 2024 The City of Long Beach, California, is offering to pay piston aircraft operators to switch to unleaded fuel. Last week the city council of the Los Angeles suburb voted to have the city cover the $2-$4 per gallon difference between Swift Fuels and 100LL. In November, the city council voted to cover the cost of the STC needed for aircraft to legally use the fuel up to $300. Swift sells the STC for $100. The unleaded fuel has been at the Signature FBO at Long Beach since last August but hadn’t been selling well because it’s more expensive than standard avgas, so the city council stepped in. The $300,000 budget will come from airport operating revenues. “Subsidizing the price difference of unleaded aviation fuel removes one of the major barriers for its widespread adoption,” said Councilman Daryl Supernaw. “I’m proud that our City is pressing ahead with local solutions ahead of the federal government’s timeline.” The FAA has set 2030 to have a universal replacement for 100LL. The UL94 can be used by about 70 percent of aircraft with spark ignition engines, but higher-performance types need 100 octane fuel. General Aviation Modifications Inc. has developed a 100-octane unleaded fuel that is STC’d for all gasoline aircraft engines but it is not in general distribution. Swift Fuels is also developing an unleaded 100-octane fuel as is a partnership between LyondellBasell and VP Racing Fuels through the FAA’s EAGLE Initiative. Phillips 66 and Afton Chemical have suspended their effort after running into reliability issues with their fuel during testing. Owl flight whispers secrets of silent jet design to Japanese researchers Previous research has attributed silent flight to trailing edge (TE) fringes but their exact mechanism was never known until now. Ameya Paleja Published: Jan 23, 2024 09:02 AM EST A research team led by Hao Liu, a professor at the Faculty of Engineering at Chiba University, has unlocked the aeroacoustic mechanisms that allow owls to fly silently. The team hopes their research will lead to the development of low-noise fluid machinery. It is no secret that humans built flying machines after being inspired by the flight of birds. While human-built machines can travel several hundred miles an hour through thinner layers of the upper atmosphere, they are also accompanied by extreme noises. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Jet engines can produce noise levels of up to 140 decibels (dB) during takeoff, way above the 85 dB level, which is considered safe for human ears. A silent aircraft is better for health and can also deliver an advantage in transportation. RELATED • Roars to whispers: NASA's quest to mute jet noise pollution • Tennesse-based startup's new technology will help silence flying taxis • Six-Year-Old Grace's Love for Owls Has Made Her a Published Scientific Researcher For years, supersonic flights have been banned over the US mainland following an incident with a military aircraft in 1968. Such a ban impacts civilian supersonic transportation. NASA has been looking for ways to reduce noise from such aircraft through its X-59 plane project. Learning from Nature At the Center for Aerial Intelligent Vehicles at Chiba University, Hao Liu leads a team of researchers who use biomechanics, biomimetics, and bioinspiration in their research work. The team is looking at nature to learn how to develop energy and resource-saving products. It uses owls as a model for silent flight. Multiple other research groups have studied flight in owls and attributed the negligible noise to micro-fringes in their wings. The trailing-edge (TE) fringes have been found to play a crucial role in suppressing the noise of the flapping wings. Other researchers have attempted to evaluate these fringes using plate plates and airfoils. Still, the exact mechanism of their operation has yet to be discovered. Studying owl wings To study the owl wings, the research team created two three-dimensional (3D) models of the real owl wing. One of the models had the TE fringes, while the other did not. Both models were used in fluid flow simulations conducted at speeds of a gliding flight approach of the owl. Methods used in the study involved large eddy simulation and the Ffowcs-Williams-Hawkings equation, which helps determine sound generated by moving surfaces. The micro-fringes on owl wings effectively suppress the noise while maintaining the aerodynamic performance of the wings comparable to that of a wing without the fringes. Simulations confirmed that the TE fringes reduced the noise produced by the wings while also helping maintain aerodynamic performance, much like the wings without fringes. This occurs through two complementary mechanisms. In the first mechanism, the TE fringes reduce the fluctuations in airflow by breaking up trailing edge vortices. They also suppress the shedding of the wingtip vortices by reducing the flow interactions between the feathers at the wingtips. Put together, these mechanisms enhance the effect of TE fringes by improving aerodynamic performance as well as noise reduction. "Our findings demonstrate the effect of complex interactions between the TE fringes and the various wing features, highlighting the validity of using these fringes for reducing noise in practical applications such as drones, wind turbines, propellers, and even flying cars," Liu said in the press release. Now that the researchers know exactly how the TE fringes work, they can use biomimetics to develop low-noise fluid machinery. The research findings were published in the journal, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. Northrop Grumman, AT&T and SEMPRE Demonstrate Next-Generation Flightline Maintenance Operations SAN DIEGO – Jan. 30, 2024 Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), AT&T* and SEMPRE (Secure EMP-Resilient Edge) demonstrated the ability to securely share sensitive, classified military data across geographies at high speeds. The demonstration showcased how flightline maintenance and sustainment can be digitally transformed to reduce time and costs associated with aircraft maintenance and repair. Northrop Grumman integrated its secure communications solution into a commercially available augmented reality (AR) headset worn by an aircraft maintainer to transfer high volume, classified aircraft data across a SEMPRE 5G private network and AT&T’s 5G commercial network between Whiteman Air Force Base and Northrop Grumman facilities in Palmdale, California, and San Diego. Using modern wearable headset hardware, a team of subject matter experts, designers and engineers developed an innovative approach for aircraft system sustainment using augmented reality (AR). (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman) Experts: Jenna Paukstis, vice president general manager, networked information solutions, Northrop Grumman: “In a combat environment, the ability to quickly troubleshoot aviation and ground vehicles to get them back in the fight is essential. The ‘Flightline of the Future’ is a next-generation digital solution providing U.S. forces with the capability to securely access information and subject matter experts right on the flightline to repair assets with speed and accuracy, reducing costs and increasing fleet readiness.” Lance Spencer, client executive vice president, defense, AT&T: “We showcased how our commercial 5G wireless network combined with private networking services can transport and protect both Highly Classified information and Controlled Unclassified Information and provide the U.S. Department of Defense the networking foundation it needs for private mission use cases. The speed, security, reliability and scalability benefits are precisely what the Department seeks in its modernization efforts.” Dr. Rob Spalding, chief executive officer, SEMPRE: “This demonstration proves advanced capabilities will be available to DoD units for deployed and in garrison requirements. SEMPRE’s deployable infrastructure helps Northrop Grumman deliver hardened connectivity and compute capability to the warfighter, even when the connection to the cloud is no longer available.” Details: The “Flightline of the Future” solution demonstrates how aircraft maintainers can securely connect with subject matter experts to perform maintenance and upgrades previously limited to information accessible only in a secure location. The demonstration showed how combining commercially available AR headsets with commercial and private 5G networks can support defense-specific security solutions, processes, and data and provide for a best-of-breed solutions applicable in any domain. Sloshing Wing Dynamics • Fact Sheet • Results in Brief • Reporting • Results Understanding how modern airliner wings respond to dynamic loads when carrying fuel Researchers develop new techniques for modelling the complex physical behaviour of fuel sloshing in aircraft wings. The wings of large passenger aircraft are highly flexible structures that can significantly deform when, for example, the plane encounters atmospheric turbulence or gusts. Most aircraft wings also house the fuel tanks and generally carry an amount of fuel comparable in weight to that of their structural components. Standard engineering practices for wing design do not consider the effect fuel movement, or sloshing, has on an aircraft’s design loads – in this case, the maximum amount of deformation a wing is designed to handle. “This, in large part, is due to a lack of maturity in the toolsets currently available to the industry,” says Francesco Gambioli, an expert on loads and aeroelastics at Airbus. With the support of the EU-funded SLOWD project, Gambioli is coordinating an industry-wide effort to investigate the use of fuel slosh as a means of reducing the design loads on aircraft structures. The project focused its research on the wings of large civil passenger aircraft, which are designed to withstand loads occurring from atmospheric gusts and turbulence, as well as landing impacts. Experimental set-ups and innovative numerical and analytical tools The primary goal of the project was to quantify the extent to which liquid sloshing in aircraft tanks affects the structural dynamic behaviour of an airliner. To achieve this goal, researchers developed experimental set-ups complemented by innovative numerical and analytical tools. “The fact that this research topic hadn’t been addressed in the past was a big challenge, but the combination of skills and expertise of the consortium members was quite incredible,” adds Gambioli. “It led to the novel application of well-established methods as well as to the development of radically new techniques for understanding and modelling the complex physical behaviour of sloshing in aircraft wings.” Better understanding dynamic wing behaviour Amongst those applications and methods were state-of-the-art numerical techniques that aided the design of the experimental campaign. These methods were further used to construct a sophisticated digital twin of the wing set-up. The project also developed and evaluated various reduced-order and analytical models for simplifying intricate numerical frameworks, many of which can be seamlessly integrated into a holistic design framework. “These tools allowed us to explore dynamic wing behaviour and uncover how modern airliner wings respond to dynamic loads when carrying fuel,” explains Gambioli. Available for application in actual aircraft design The outcomes of this research include a comprehensive database of measurements, which serves as a benchmark for the project’s numerical and analytical methods. The project also produced more than 100 articles, many of which have been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals. According to Gambioli, the quantity and quality of the research speaks for itself. “Our work is not limited to academia but, thanks to the engagement of the project’s industrial partners, is available for application in actual aircraft design,” he concludes. The project team is currently preparing to launch a full-scale test of its solutions using a prototype wing structure. Working at Lockheed Martin Mechanical / Aeronautical Engineer - Propulsion Intern Stratford, Connecticut APPLY NOW SAVE JOB • Job Responsibilities • About Us • Success Profile • Meet Our Employees • Benefits • Related Content • Share • Location Job Responsibilities JOB ID: 659758BR Date posted: Jan. 15, 2024 Description:By bringing together people that use their passion for purposeful innovation, at Lockheed Martin we keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work. With our employees as our priority, we provide diverse career opportunities designed to propel development and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work. At Lockheed Martin, we place an emphasis on empowering our employees by fostering innovation, integrity, and exemplifying the epitome of corporate responsibility. Your Mission is Ours. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems is seeking a talented and motivated Summer 2024 Propulsion Engineering Intern to join the team which is responsible for the design and integration of the propulsion system (engine installation, inlets, exhaust, fire protection, fuel systems, environmental control systems). This role would assist with the installation not the design of engines. Typical tasks include performing modeling propulsion equipment and deriving requirements for related sub-systems. As an intern with Propulsion Engineering, you will have the opportunity to interact with Design Engineers, Material and Process Engineers, Suppliers, and Test Engineers to integrate the design within the Air Vehicle. Basic Qualifications: - Pursing Mechanical or Aeronautical engineering degree - Basic knowledge of engineering design - Basic knowledge of 3D CAD - Basic knowledge and the ability understand geometry packaging Desired Skills: - 3D CAD, CATIA preferred - Knowledge of helicopters or helicopter systems - Knowledge of engine controls and fuel systems Clearance Level:None Other Important Information You Should Know Expression of Interest:By applying to this job, you are expressing interest in this position and could be considered for other career opportunities where similar skills and requirements have been identified as a match. Should this match be identified you may be contacted for this and future openings. Ability to Work Remotely:Part-time Remote Telework: The employee selected for this position will work part of their work schedule remotely and part of their work schedule at a designated Lockheed Martin facility. The specific weekly schedule will be discussed during the hiring process. Work Schedules:Lockheed Martin supports a variety of alternate work schedules that provide additional flexibility to our employees. Schedules range from standard 40 hours over a five day work week while others may be condensed. These condensed schedules provide employees with additional time away from the office and are in addition to our Paid Time off benefits. Schedule for this Position:4x10 hour day, 3 days off per week Lockheed Martin is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status. The application window will close in 90 days; applicants are encouraged to apply within 5 - 30 days of the requisition posting date in order to receive optimal consideration. At Lockheed Martin, we use our passion for purposeful innovation to help keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work. With our employees as our priority, we provide diverse career opportunities designed to propel, develop, and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work. We place an emphasis on empowering our employees by fostering an inclusive environment built upon integrity and corporate responsibility. If this sounds like a culture you connect with, you’re invited to apply for this role. Or, if you are unsure whether your experience aligns with the requirements of this position, we encourage you to search on Lockheed Martin Jobs, and apply for roles that align with your qualifications. Experience Level:Co-op/Summer Intern Pre-Filled Oil Filters: Proper Prep Or Premature Engine Killer? By MICAH WRIGHT JANUARY 25, 2024 Long considered the most basic of automotive maintenance tasks, the average oil change remains blanketed in controversy. Not just regarding what type of engine oil is best, or which engine oil additive performs on a higher level, but in how one goes about affixing oil filters. Do you pre-fill your oil filters prior to installation? Or do you just lube up that gasket and let the oil pump sort it all out? Online opinions about this topic are all over the place , so our friend Lake Speed, Jr (a.k.a. The Motor Oil Geek) decided to put the discussion to rest once and for all by conducting some scientific research. The mission was simple: Find out if fresh motor oil straight from the jug was dirtier than the filtered oil going through the filter and into the engine. The methodology was equally straightforward: Send samples pulled from said clean drum of motor oil, as well as new motor oil from an engine off to SPEEDiagnostix for some ISO 4406 cleanliness tests. Apparently, there are two ways of doing this: The right way, and the foolish way. And in a moment you will see the science that backs it all up. Whenever you see Lake Speed, Jr. and “Dyno Don” MacAskill together, you know there is some knowledge about to be transferred. Prefilling Oil Filters: Pointless Or Imperative Prep? Lake Speed, Jr. isn’t called “The Motor Oil Geek” for nothing. The guy is a certified lubrication specialist or tribologist, and is forever the first to point out things like the importance of proper funnel storage for cleanliness, proper detergent and oil additive levels in products, etc. He also pre-fills his oil filters before conducting an oil change. So when he heard the argument that some of his viewers were worried about the cleanliness of the oil being dumped into the oil filters before cycling, he decided to fire back with his take on the matter. The Four Rs Of Lubrication • The Right Oil • In the Right Place • At the Right Time • In the Right Amount Simply put, pre-filled oil filters prevent your engine from operating without adequate lubrication while you wait for that filter to fill. Gettin’ All Greased Up For The Big, Oily Wrasslin’ Match After pumping some fresh oil directly out of the drum, Speed set this sample aside so that it could later be sent to the lab for analysis. Then, the freshly filled engine was primed with an air drill, so that the oil could hit every portion of the engine’s internals. Once that was done, he then pulled a sample for sending off to the lab for analysis. By using an air drill and a priming driver, there should be no internal contamination of the oil due to wear, as all that is being done amounts to pre-lubing the engine. It’s important to properly collect the used-oil sample, so as to not introduce external contamination. Oil pressure was also measured, seeing how long it took for the engine to reach operating pressure with an empty oil filter, and noting that if the engine were driving that oil pump instead of an air drill, there would be a significant amount of time the engine was operating with no oil pressure. Then, they allowed the oil to drain back into the pan, and spun up the air drill again, monitoring pressure again to see how long it took the engine to reach proper oil pressure. The difference in the time that it took to reach optimum oil pressure/lubrication was blatantly apparent. From what we witnessed, the oil pump spun for damn near 6 seconds before the oil filter filled. Particle count testing shows how “dirty” unused oil is, because all motor oil, no matter what weight or brand it may be, does have some contaminants floating around inside. Ergo, an oil analysis will show any foreign matter, no matter how small. Photo Credit: The Motor Oil Geek/YouTube Let’s Look At Some Lab Results After receiving the results on both samples that were sent off to SPEEDiagnostix, it was clear that the oil straight from the drum was far cleaner than the sample that had hit the oil filter. ISO 4406 cleanliness tests focus on particulate counts, therefore any contaminants measured on a scale of anything less than 4, less than 6, and more than 14 microns in size will get flagged. The higher the test result numbers in any of these categories, the dirtier the oil. ISO particle counts out of the drum were 16, 15, and 12, respectively. In contrast, engine samples were 19, 18, and 15, so far more contaminants across the board! Large particles that were more than 14 microns in size were easily the most astounding (and damaging), with the drum sample only having 52, and the engine sample having a count of 331. Side-by-side comparisons showing how clean the oil was out of the drum, and what came out of the engine post-testing. Photo Credit: The Motor Oil Geek/YouTube Essentially, the oil that we put into our oil filters pre-start is always cleaner than what finally hits that filter after a few seconds of turning the engine over to the point where proper oil pressure levels can be achieved. And then there was the topic of engine teardowns and that sort of inspection process. According to MacAskill, most bearing scratches are caused by the first 4 to 5 seconds of cranking an engine, and they only get worse when there isn’t enough lubrication present. So in the case of a first start, engines without any oil in their oil filters are spending more time with metal-to-metal contact before oil pressure is sufficient to create the required hydrodynamic wedge. That translates to more wear on your parts and more particles floating around in your engine oil while you drive. So, the results are pretty clear. Fill up your new oil filter before you screw it on, and if possible, pre-lube your engine. Assuming you don’t like metal-to-metal contact, that is. These marks on the bearing are likely from initial start-up before proper oil pressure is achieved. B1 bomber plane arrives in Wichita after four day trek from Texas 146-foot-long bomber jet arrived at NIAR in Wichita after four day journey from Texas.(KWCH) By Max Dutton and Dylan Domangue Published: Jan. 27, 2024 at 3:56 PM CST|Updated: Jan. 27, 2024 at 3:58 PM CST WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Drivers in south-central Kansas had quite the sight on their commute Saturday morning as some saw a B1 bomber plane being transported along the local roadways. The plane arrived in Wichita in the early afternoon before being delivered to the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). It took crews from Berard Trucking and police escorts four days to carry the 146 foot long bomber jet over 450 miles from Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas to Kansas. The plane was brought to NIAR to undergo 3D scans that will help in maintaining and repairing future aircrafts. Janet Houghton was one of many who followed the B1 bomber from Texas and said while it was a slow journey, it was a sight to see for drivers that passed by along the highways. “Everybody was taking pictures,” said Houghton. “Everybody was so welcoming and just wanted to see what was going on. This is history, and I tell you what this makes me proud to be an American.” According to Redhome Aviation on Facebook, the specific B1 bomber that was seen traveling through Kansas Saturday experienced engine failure and caught fire while performing an engine run after maintenance. The plane is now in Wichita for further research and testing. Curt Lewis