Sorry Eddy, the hottest part of the aircraft is not the exhaust, where cooling air has been added to the very hot combustion gas, its inside the combustion chamber. Even on a reheated engine, afterburning, injecting neat fuel into the exhaust gas still needs a source of ignition (a glowplug or hot streak) to get it to light. BUT we still know of some aircraft fires (I have personally had two inflight fires on jets) that have been caused by fuel leaks so its something we try to avoid and great care is taken in fuel handling and avoidance of leaks ! However, someone recently wrote on this site that his smoke fuel had actually ignited in the tailpipe, giving an afterburner effect, so its all a bit unpredictable, and who has not seen a wet start, with sheets of flame, on a model jet, which could be a very good ignition source of spilled fuel ! I still believe that the ONLY place for fuel is in the tanks, and any leaks, spills or any fuel whch is where it should not be should, must, be cleaned up, period !


Hands up any fullsize jet operator, pilot or engineer who would sign off or accept an aircraft for flight, or even an engine run, with fuel, any fuel, sloshing around in the cowls or indeed any other place on or under, the aircraft. (and please tell me your operator so I can avoid flying with them !!)

And yes Sean some things ARE done differently down her in Australia, (and in the UK) like running the worlds's safest and most profitable airline, Qantas !


Now, to run that AMTNL Olympus HPES, fire extinguisher at the ready, just in case ! !

Regards,

David Gladwin.