The US Air Force (USAF) is using a new engine wash system designed to reduce aircraft fuel use by as much as 1.2 per cent. US Air Mobility Command officials say they have been using the EcoPower Engine Wash system to clean the engines of Boeing C-17A Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft in the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina for about a year. The engine wash takes place during each aircraft's home station check, which is carried out twice a year. "C-17 engines washed using the EcoPower Engine Wash System have shown measurable improvements in fuel efficiency and cooler operating temperatures," said Master Sergeant Richard Fults, US Air Mobility Command's C-17 Propulsion superintendent, in a 30 March release. The engine wash also results in cooler exhaust gas temperatures, he added, which decreases heat stress on the engines. That means the engines can remain on the aircraft longer and need less preventive maintenance.
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