Air New Zealand 747 flies biofuel test flight
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Auckland
Age: 35
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I don't think all the companies involving themselves in the creation and creation of sustainable bio fuels believe it will be an out right replacement to JetA1, but its a necessary thing to go through and test all the different avenues before we find a fuel that can be readily produced to keep up with demand, its like anything in technology and science, you have to go through all the stepping stones before you can get to the bacon.
The Jatropha Bean fuel actually seems like a cool idea, I read about it awhile back, and Captain Dave Morgan was the guest speaker at our clubs Wings Dinner and readily spoke about this new fuel, and the key thing was, is that the Jatropha Bean could be produced in the most harshest of conditions where other plants and crops cannot even be attempted to be grown. It requires little water (250mm of annual rainfall), can be grown in the poorest of soils and has a life span of around 40 years so replanting is not required. For every hectare planted it produces around 2000 litres of oil which so far is a higher yield than any other biodiesel crop out there.
So all in all, I think its a huge step forward to finding a sustainable biofuel. And its first used in New Zealand - gotta be good, Boooyaaaa
The Jatropha Bean fuel actually seems like a cool idea, I read about it awhile back, and Captain Dave Morgan was the guest speaker at our clubs Wings Dinner and readily spoke about this new fuel, and the key thing was, is that the Jatropha Bean could be produced in the most harshest of conditions where other plants and crops cannot even be attempted to be grown. It requires little water (250mm of annual rainfall), can be grown in the poorest of soils and has a life span of around 40 years so replanting is not required. For every hectare planted it produces around 2000 litres of oil which so far is a higher yield than any other biodiesel crop out there.
So all in all, I think its a huge step forward to finding a sustainable biofuel. And its first used in New Zealand - gotta be good, Boooyaaaa
Last edited by Bjcnz; 12th Jan 2009 at 21:26.
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Well you you know what to do Bjcnz.
Buy lots of land and grow jatropha, you'll make yourself a fortune. Dave Morgan can't be wrong.
Maybe in the outback of Australia or sophisticated places like Somalia or Ethiopia.
Buy lots of land and grow jatropha, you'll make yourself a fortune. Dave Morgan can't be wrong.
Maybe in the outback of Australia or sophisticated places like Somalia or Ethiopia.
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Haha on all that money I have from training as a pilot and soon instructor wages, oooh yeeeaah. But then again, if it can be grown in harsh places they must be going for cheap! All us pilots should get together and purchase all the land, and then exploit all the oil we find underneith that land! We'll be rich, move over oil tycoons, its the Jatropha Girls and Boys now
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Synthetic fuel for Jet Fighters
I also remember reading this article once about the U.S. successfully using a synthetic fuel for their C-17 aircraft that flew a trans-continental flight. Didn't mention what was the mixture of the fuel though. here's the article below:
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This week the US Air Force achieved the first supersonic flight using alternative synthetic fuel, booming a B-1B Lancer over the White Sands Missile Range airspace in New Mexico without any problems. The supersonic strategic bomber, designed to deliver atomic weapons, will be able to start Armageddon at $30 to $50 less per barrel while helping the environment and without depending on foreign oil.
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A historic flight occurred on Tuesday August 19th when a United States Air Force F-15 Eagle combat jet exceeded Mach 2 while powered by a synthetic fuel blend.
The flight marked the first time ever that a combination of synthetic and regular jet fuel had been used in an air superiority fighter and followed similar tests in which a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft and Rockwell B1b Lancer and Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers had been used.
Synthetic Fuel Trials
In the opinion of the USAF's Alternative Fuels Certification Office's Director, Jeff Braun, fighter types like the F-15 posed a very different challenge to the aircraft employed in previous synthetic fuel trials.
"They are much higher performance and a much more demanding environment", Braun said, subsequently detailing the various aspects of Tuesday's tests.
In the morning, he stated, the F-15's engines were run at ground level, and afterburner engaged - a stage Braun described as "just another risk reduction step to prove the aircraft was not leaking fuel and the engines were behaving nominally."
Later on that same day, the F-15 took off for a "full functional check flight" lasting "about 55 minutes."
During this flight, it achieved Mach 2.2 - about 1,450 miles per hour.
Braun added that, post-flight, the F-15's pilots were asked if they were aware of any changes from their perspective.
"We asked them point-blank if they noticed any difference in performance and they said it was a 'non-event'", he said.
"In other words, they couldn't tell the difference. The aircraft behaved the same."
Further flight tests were being carried out as these words were typed, as detailed by Braun:
"We'll have two more sorties then the Robins [Air Force Base - where the tests are being carried out] engineers will put their final analysis and reports together."
**********************************************************
This week the US Air Force achieved the first supersonic flight using alternative synthetic fuel, booming a B-1B Lancer over the White Sands Missile Range airspace in New Mexico without any problems. The supersonic strategic bomber, designed to deliver atomic weapons, will be able to start Armageddon at $30 to $50 less per barrel while helping the environment and without depending on foreign oil.
************************************************************
A historic flight occurred on Tuesday August 19th when a United States Air Force F-15 Eagle combat jet exceeded Mach 2 while powered by a synthetic fuel blend.
The flight marked the first time ever that a combination of synthetic and regular jet fuel had been used in an air superiority fighter and followed similar tests in which a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft and Rockwell B1b Lancer and Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers had been used.
Synthetic Fuel Trials
In the opinion of the USAF's Alternative Fuels Certification Office's Director, Jeff Braun, fighter types like the F-15 posed a very different challenge to the aircraft employed in previous synthetic fuel trials.
"They are much higher performance and a much more demanding environment", Braun said, subsequently detailing the various aspects of Tuesday's tests.
In the morning, he stated, the F-15's engines were run at ground level, and afterburner engaged - a stage Braun described as "just another risk reduction step to prove the aircraft was not leaking fuel and the engines were behaving nominally."
Later on that same day, the F-15 took off for a "full functional check flight" lasting "about 55 minutes."
During this flight, it achieved Mach 2.2 - about 1,450 miles per hour.
Braun added that, post-flight, the F-15's pilots were asked if they were aware of any changes from their perspective.
"We asked them point-blank if they noticed any difference in performance and they said it was a 'non-event'", he said.
"In other words, they couldn't tell the difference. The aircraft behaved the same."
Further flight tests were being carried out as these words were typed, as detailed by Braun:
"We'll have two more sorties then the Robins [Air Force Base - where the tests are being carried out] engineers will put their final analysis and reports together."
