Air Force saves $7M on fuel for KC-135 by turning windshield wipers vertical
April 20 (UPI) -- Windshield wiper blades mounted vertically on a KC-135 Stratotanker's windshield can save about $ 7 million in annual fuel costs, a U.S. Air Force test concluded. Aerodynamic drag is reduced by about 1 percent, under cruise conditions, when the wipers are left upright on the windshield, the Air Force said in a statement on Monday. It could potentially save $ 7 million annually in fuel costs for the 398 KC-135 planes in the Air Force fleet. "While one percent efficiency may not seem like a lot, it equates to millions of dollars in fuel savings each year, which can then be re-invested into other programs," Daniel Pike, acquisition manager and chief of future operations for Air Force Operational Energy, said in a press release. "When you combine the results of optimization...
