New B-52 engine cover prototype testing protects Minot’s bomber fleet

Air Force Global Strike Command Office of the Chief Scientist supported tests of engine covers for a B-52 Stratofortress at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, July 11, 2023. The tests resulted in $1.2 million in funding from the Air Force Operational Energy Savings Account to equip the entire Minot AFB fleet with the engine covers. (U.S. Air Force Courtesy Photo by Master Sgt. Adam Vasas)

Published Nov. 20, 2024
By Sean Green, STRIKEWERX
Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --

People stand around a B-52 Stratofortress that has a covered engine. — Air Force Global Strike Command Office of the Chief Scientist supported tests of engine covers for a B-52 Stratofortress at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, July 11, 2023. The tests resulted in $1.2 million in funding from the Air Force Operational Energy Savings Account to equip the entire Minot AFB fleet with the engine covers. (U.S. Air Force Courtesy Photo by Master Sgt. Adam Vasas)

Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) pilots and maintainers have secured new engine covers that prevent icing in extreme cold thanks to support from STRIKEWERX and the AFGSC Office of the Chief Scientist (AFGSC/ST).

Air Force Operational Energy Savings Account provided Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, with $1.2 million for B-52 Stratofortress engine pod covers to prevent ice buildup. This solution will assist in preventing damage to engines, delays in takeoff, and reduce time Airmen spend de-icing aircraft engines.

“We found 10 engines were damaged across 2021-2023 due to ice debris, which resulted in $17 million in damages and 160-plus manhours lost,” said Master Sgt. Adam Vasas, AFGSC project champion.

STRIKEWERX, the innovation arm of AFGSC/ST, purchased and facilitated testing of 12 Transhield Pod Covers. These rugged, weatherproof covers wrap around the engines to ensure all ducts, inlets, and exhausts are sealed. It can be quickly deployed and removed on the aircraft and provides a method to manually heat engines if necessary.

“Maintainers will now have the ability to operate more efficiently in arctic weather environments, while people and equipment previously dedicated to keeping the engines warm can be utilized elsewhere or saved in reserve,” Vasas added.

The funding will equip the entire fleet at Minot AFB. This new cover is anticipated to save approximately 7,500 manhours and offer a high return on investment.

The need to protect engines from icing was originally explored via a Design Sprint hosted by STRIKEWERX, at the Cyber Innovation Center located in Bossier City, Louisiana, back in July 2022.

In October 2022, a prototype modified from a previous design was built to allow for heating of the engine cowling on B-52 aircraft. However, after testing at Minot AFB, the results did not meet the maintainers’ success criteria. This led to Vasas and other subject matter experts researching potential solutions and selecting the Transhield Pod Cover for further testing.

About the Cyber Innovation Center
Cyber Innovation Center (CIC), located in Bossier City, Louisiana, is the anchor of the 3,000-acre National Cyber Research Park and serves as the catalyst for the development and expansion of a knowledge-based workforce throughout the region. As a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation, CIC fosters collaboration among its partners and accelerates technology, research, and development. One of its primary missions is to develop a sustainable knowledge-based workforce that can support the growing needs of government, industry, and academic partners.

Editor’s Note:
The appearance of hyperlinks on the AF.mil website and any official United States Air Force social media pages does not constitute endorsement by the Defense Media Activity – Fort Meade, MD, the United States Air Force, or the Department of Defense, of the external Web site, or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) sites, the United States Air Force does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations or the privacy and user policies of these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of the Web site. References to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of Defense or Air Force endorsement of any company or organization. STRIKEWERX is an innovation arm of the AFGSC Office of the Chief Scientist that connects people and resources across government, industry and academia to solve Air Force Global Strike Command’s most difficult problems. https://www.strikewerx.com/ is operated in alignment with Air Force Instruction 35-101 “Public Affairs Operations”, section 5.4.6, which states, “All official Department of the Air Force public websites will use the top-level internet domain “af.mil,” which is the approved government domain for the U.S. Department of the Air Force. (T-0). Approved exceptions to this policy include, but are not limited to, www.airforce.com, www.afreserve.com, www.afrotc.com, and www.goang.com. Appropriate academic organizations can use the “.edu” domain.”