Jp-7

JP-7

JP-7 (Jet Propellant 7, MIL-DTL-38219) is a jet fuel developed by the U.S. Air Force for use in supersonic aircraft because of its high flash point and thermal stability. It is the fuel used in the Pratt & Whitney J58 engines, used in the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. The air compression of Mach 3+ cruising flight generates very high skin temperatures; therefore this special fuel was needed. The story told by Ben Rich in his book Skunk Works is that a lit match can be dropped in a bucket of JP-7 and the fuel will not ignite, and the match will be extinguished (although this is common in any low-volatility fuel including diesel).