Airmen Pursuing Swift KC-46 Start-Up Solutions
Speeding Up the Sky: The APU Remote Start System Revolutionizing Air Refueling
We've got some Airmen at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas stirring things up with a nifty invention that's about to make air refueling operations smoother than a breeze. They've dreamt up the APU Remote Start System (APURSS) – a device that'll kick-start the KC-46 refueling tanker quicker than a shot of espresso, streamlining those crucial moments when crews hop aboard to fuel up hangry aircraft.
Hot off the assembly line in 2019, the KC-46 is the Air Force's freshest kid on the block. Yet, it's a bit of a sluggard compared to its grizzled four-engine elder, the KC-135 – a spry 61 years on average, no less! The issue? The auxiliary power unit (APU), that little sidekick engine that takes flight before the big engines to start up key systems and get the air conditioning going, is taking its sweet time between yawns.
"Think of it like the warm-up laps before the big race – only instead of a race, we're talking about fueling up aircraft," John Van Winkle, chief of public affairs at McConnell's 22nd Air Refueling Wing, explained to Air & Space Forces Magazine. The APU on the KC-46 struggles to keep up in the start-up sprint with its KC-135 counterpart.
Snap out of it, Airmen! That's exactly what Staff Sgt. Hunter Diedrich and Senior Airman Douglas Vargas thought when they decided to get their creative juices flowing. They're part of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing's Innovation Lab, a spark of ingenuity where Airmen can brainstorm and build fixes and inventions.
Diedrich and Vargas cooked up the APURSS – a device that reminds you to start your engine remotely, allowing the KC-46's APU to get a head start before the crew even sets foot on board. Vargas handled the software wizardry, Diedrich managed the physical design.
"Imagine standing on the edge of a race track, ready to send a pit crew rushing into action – that's what it felt like when the APURSS worked for the first time," Diedrich said in a Nov. 19 press release.
The device is already making waves, cutting down pre-flight times for crews during training exercises. "Before the APURSS, the KC-46 had a vitality disadvantage compared to the KC-135 Stratotanker," Capt. Timothy Schwanke, chief of the Innovation Lab, told us. "Now, it's given the KC-46 a chance to catch up and possibly even overtake its veteran rival."
The remote control is so powerful that crews can even trigger it from miles away, though it's expected to stay put on the same base. McConnell's continuing to test the APURSS during operational exercises, but its eventual implementation across the KC-46 fleet still hangs in the balance, dependent on the processing of relevant funding and expeditious development by partners like FirePoint Innovations Center, the Defense Innovation Unit, and PWI.
In the meantime, we've got our fingers crossed for this promising project. Here's to hoping the APURSS sees fleet-wide implementation soon!
- The innovation by Airmen at McConnell Air Force Base, the APU Remote Start System (APURSS), could potentially improve the security of air refueling operations by minimizing crucial pre-flight times, similar to how advanced technology in space force aids in strategic defense.
- The air force is eager to integrate the APURSS into their aircraft, such as the KC-46, to enhance the speed and efficiency of air refueling operations, much like how space technology revolutionized the speed and exploration capabilities of aircraft in the past.
- With the successful development of the APURSS, the Air Force could potentially achieve parity with older aircraft like the KC-135, demonstrating the importance of continuous innovation in defense and technology to maintain a strong air force.
