F-15C Hush House Max Power Run

This has been cleared through the 144 Fighter Wing Public Affairs office for posting on the date of 2 AUG 2023.

[@psayre33]

The modern hush house is so effective you don’t really notice it in the surrounding areas. When I was a kid the thing was basically open air with a tube pointing up. We could hear them testing 106’s, and F-4’s all the way down past the fairgrounds miles away.

[@SukhoiWolf]

The ones the Japanese have are feats of engineering, it's basically double suppressed and can being running an engine at max power and not hear it much more than a 1/4 mile away.

[@whytebearconcepts]

I live near KFAT and the 144th FW base, see these guys almost every day, love the casual air shows.

[@JWnFlorida]

Beautiful plane.. so well engineered.. battle axe that can dance ballet.. one of the best ever.

[@romagnolo]

So beautiful. Those engines are f*cking powerful! Thanks for sharing! :D

[@kentj1972]

Hard to belief that plane is 42 years old.

[@mikethompson2650]

WOW this brings back memories. I was assigned to the "Sound Suppressor" at MacDill AFB in Florida back in mid-late 70s. It was a F-4E training base. Ours was no were as nice as this one. The damn thing even "bit" me once, still got the scar on my scalp. Well to be honest it was the flap on the right wing and its knife edge seal.

[@bradbarley6639]

Anyone remember the original design slogan when the F-15 was developed? "Not a pound for air to ground".

[@3MinutesofAviation]

Awesome stuff! May I feature a part of this max power run in one of my next episodes? Of course with a link back to your original video. All the best to you!

[@matenkuosauber7457]

I remember seeing these at an airshow, even from that distance it felt like my bones were rattling in my body. I can't imagine what it's like from mere feet away. Such power!

[@robertlassiter907]

I worked on A/B models at Langley AFB 76-80. We went out to Nellis AFB, Nevada for the Red Flag exercise. We took one down to the trim pad one night to run it up to full afterburner and I can tell that it is way past loud. The shock waves kind of beat on you when you’re standing aft a little watching the burner. I remember having to breathe a little harder to get air. The crew chief was taking quart cans of engine oil and partially opening them and throwing them into the full afterburner exhaust and they would make a big fire ball. Cars were stopping on the road outside the end of runway to watch. I was about 20 years old then, now I’m 68. I loved the Air Force.

[@omegagavin]

That tie down is stronger than it looks.

[@mwales2112]

Very cool. Would be fun to be in the seat running it. We parked our Herk across the taxiway from the SR hush house in Mildenhall back in the 80's and wow...

[@michaelstern8657]

During my hush house runs (on F-16s), the ground man and fire guard had to go inside the control room after start up. No one was allowed in the bay during burner. I’m actually surprised that they risked having their cellphones suck out of their hands (I served before cellphones was a thing).

[@SukhoiWolf]

People are only allowed in the bay as long as they are inside the un-installed engine test bed. Losing a phone is just a risk you have to be willing to take haha.

[@tomwilson1006]

Need to bring back the SR-71 for some hush house engine runs!

[@iceman_fox1]

thats awesome. looks like a couple of normal enlisted dudes in there at the controls of an F-15 lol

[@SukhoiWolf]

I was lucky enough to be running here! Just pinned on E-5 a couple weeks prior!

[@NoobyChris]

Can't imagine how loud this would be

[@SukhoiWolf]

Its insane, double ear protection is a must!

[@MScotty90]

I love how even the guy's microphone at 4:40 has to have a seal on it lol. Ear and mouth pro

[@Eshrakgaming934]

Daaaaamnnnn the sound is like a supercar and than its like a very powerful jet engine.

[@iVTECInside]

What is the apparent fluid dump as the engines are shut down? (first at 6:45 most visible) I'm guessing fuel purge of some sort, but kinda curious. Just scrolled the comments before posting, it is fuel. Now I'm wondering why that happens.

[@God_is_in_the_details]

A new kind of haunting and terrifying: F15 startup noises.

[@draufganger620]

0:23 sounds like a dyno run

[@E2D22]

Reminds me of my Corolla.

[@paulc1173]

Can they feel the radiant heat from the afterburner ?

[@SukhoiWolf]

Oh yeah, its not insanely hot, but you can definitely feel the warmth heating up your skin.

[@ArghIsThisHandleTaken]

Did the TO change to allow you to close the lid during engine start? When I was running we weren't allowed to close it until 1 was stable. And I'm surprised you guys don't have to catch fuel. We always had to have someone back there to catch fuel on shut down.

[@SukhoiWolf]

One was up and running. It was edited out.

[@SukhoiWolf]

Also during un-installed runs fuel just drains into the trap below, same was done here likely for convenience.

[@ArghIsThisHandleTaken]

@@SukhoiWolf Didn't know that. I was a flight line crew chief so I only ever dealt with installed runs, obviously.

[@JonMaxwell]

Will this give my cigar an even light?

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

5:00 Is that attachment to the engines for the restraining cable a bolt-on? 6:45 Was it draining leftover fuel in the system?

[@davidbrooks7806]

Looks like it's connected to the tail hook. Yes, USAF fighters have tail hooks.

[@chembleton]

@@davidbrooks7806 yep, f16 included

[@cosmo212]

Gotta love seeing the hometown squadron. Does the 144th have one of these at the ANG base? Or was this somewhere else other than the Fresno Air National Guard?

[@Freediver_72]

Just looked on Google maps. Southeast corner of the airport, the hush house has a distinct look. arched roof with a tube out the back.

[@cosmo212]

@@Freediver_72 Awesome! Thank you for looking into it.

[@cornbread83]

No chocks? I see the restraint cable in the back but no chocks?

[@SukhoiWolf]

Chocks only on the rear of the main tires

[@merclb56]

100+ kills, 0 losses

[@softdemontid]

What's the leak at 6:45 ?

[@SukhoiWolf]

Fuel draining since the engine shutdown. Normal for this jet!

[@TankR]

Whats that liquid it pukes overboard from what looks like inboard of the ...nacel?... when it comes off the throttle?

[@SukhoiWolf]

Fuel drain upon engine shutdown.

[@TankR]

@@SukhoiWolf ah, so some sort of pressure relief? Instead of piping back to the tanks, if just 'vents' whatever is at the engine? I imagine as some kind of throttle response improvement, instead of burning off excess pressure, just dump that slight excess? And is that a single strap holding that thing down?!? Seeing the airframe lurch as the power comes on and off, knowing its in an enclosed space.... 🤯 The theory of jet engines is pretty straightforward, but all the little intricacies of how exactly different models do their voodoo without blowing themselves into orbit is where the interesting shit happens, IMHO 😉 Thanks for sharing it with us, mate!

[@RocketToTheMoose]

@@SukhoiWolf Funny, was just watching Diesel Thunder's video of an F-100 Super Saber startup and shut down, and that did the same thing, with fuel overboard on shut down. He was saying more modern jets would reroute the over flow from the pump back into the tanks, but I guess not on the F-15 either?

[@RocketToTheMoose]

@@TankR If it's like the older jets, the fuel pumps still take a while to spin down, so there's still fuel pressure, even though the engine is shutting down. Since you don't want a bunch of fuel to go into the spooling down engine, it just gets dumped over board (assuming this is similar for the F-15, anyway).

[@SukhoiWolf]

@@RocketToTheMoose not this particular model. The EX doesn't drain it overboard.

[@AdeptusChaoticus]

Good way to roast a marshmallow.

[@CueDriver]

But then you have to chase after it.

[@maximilliancunningham6091]

A little expensive though,,,

[@maximilliancunningham6091]

Foam ear plugs, and -100db rated head phones.

[@jamesjacola351]

It's a must have!

[@maximilliancunningham6091]

You don't want to get anywhere near those intakes, talk about hoover power,,,What comes in the front, must go out the back !

[@isaiahjohnson6279]

144th yooo i live right next to the airport

[@darchojandreoski-b7j]

onley in Staat USA Territorium you can Flighte hier Staat USA US ARMY ARMADA

[@SukhoiWolf]

How do I dry basil for soup