What is the green flash behind the SR-71?
What a beautiful GREEN 🟢 color
This beautiful color occurs when the JP-7 fuel and the TEB come together with oxygen.
Anyone watching an engine start from behind the aircraft could see the telltale green flash of the TEB exploding, igniting the engine. ‘Each time a throttle was lifted and moved forward into the afterburner range, another metered shot of TEB would light the AB fuel. 16 shots (per engine) of TEB were held in every SR 71 for a flight. There was never a time when they ran out of TEB and had to land.
This picture was taken with John Olp on his camera.#SR-71 #aviationlovers
I was recently asked what the plan was if you ran out of the 16 shots of TEB. TEB was required every time you started the engine or the afterburners, kicked the tires, or lit up the engines.
In the 24 years the SR-71 flew, it never ran out of TEB, but there was a plan just in case.
John Olp, an SR-71 Mechanic from 1975-1985 at Beale AFB, explains;
‘The J58 engine had a unique way of lighting the afterburners if TEB wasn’t available.
‘Inserted into three rings of the flame holders were six catalytic igniters. If TEB wasn’t available, the engines could be manually over-trimmed to increase the exhaust temperature and superheat the ignitors. When the throttles were advanced into afterburner, the glowing catalytic ignitors would light off the fuel, albeit somewhat harshly!
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