First Flight Takes Place of an Aircraft Solely Powered by Jet Biofuel Blend Derived from Plant Biomass
(GreenAirOnline) The US Air Force has carried out the first-ever feasibility flight powered solely by a blended hydrotreated renewable jet fuel. The twin-engined A-10C Thunderbolt used a 50/50 blend of conventional military JP-8 jet fuel and a biofuel derived from camelina. A recent report projects that one billion gallons of camelina biofuel could be available to the aviation and biodiesel sectors by 2025. Meanwhile, camelina producer and supplier Great Plains has entered an into agreement with Accelergy to blend camelina oil with coal to create a jet biofuel in a process it claims to be 20 percent lower in CO2 emissions.
… According to the US Air Force (USAF), a second demonstration flight is planned for this summer using an F-15 Eagle, a twin-engined tactical fighter, to test performance parameters. Later in the year, test flights are planned using a C-17 Globemaster III, a large military transporter, and an F-22 Raptor stealth fighter.
…The USAF consumes 2.4 billion gallons of jet fuel per year and has set a short-term goal to have all its aircraft certified to fly using alternative fuels by 2012. By 2016, half of the continental US military jet fuel requirement is mandated to be met by alternative fuels – a goal driven by as much a desire for energy independence from imported fossil-based fuels as for environmental concerns. READ MORE