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March 30, 2010 | 8
The U.S. Air Force burns through 2.4 billion gallons of jet fuel a year, all of it derived from oil. But a test flight on March 25 just might allow a flowering weed known as camelina to replace petroleum as part of the military's energy mix. An A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft took flight from Elgin Air Force Base in Florida using solely a synthetic jet fuel refined from camelina oil.
Further jet biofuel flights in an F-15, C-17 and F-22 are planned for later this year. The Air Force hopes to derive as much as half of its fuel requirements from alternative sources, such as camelina, by 2016—and certify all its aircraft to fly on such alternative fuels by 2012. "This sortie was pretty uneventful and predictable," said test pilot Maj. Chris Seager after the flight, according to an Air Force press release. Yet, it just might help the Air Force get a little greener.
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8 Comments
Add CommentThere is nothing "green" about bio-fuels other than the color of the money they make for the producers. "Renewable" does not mean "environmentally friendly," and SA and its writers should know that!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell it's a big step up from JP5, I'll tell you that.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisUntil we can power our jet fighters by wishful thinking and sunshine, biofuels are probably about as good as we're likely to get. There's been work done with small nukes, but they have a long way to go.
Zeppelins, however, are the future.
Home grown bio-fuels for military aircraft might decrease our dependence on foreign countries for military operations, which could in some circumstances be strategically beneficial.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBio-fuels can also be derived from food waste produced on large military bases as well. The advantages of producing your own fuel on-site when troops are stationed on foreign territory has obvious advantages.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisgee, then what fuel should the jets use? ok, green is out. so, we continue to use foreign oil? criticism without solutions is BULL SH**. you have to be a republican...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo how many acres of land will be required to grow Camelina sufficient to supply fuel equivalent to 2.4 billion gallons of JP5 per annum? And what environmental and social impact will this have? Does it mean reducing the arable land area used to produce food?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBio-fuels can use solar.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBetter to spend money on a idea that could show promise in the future, rather than on a "BIG oil deep drilling" that most likely is causing earth quakes. So, you must have a better idea.
We can make bio-fuels out many waste products, with solar.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou are missing the big picture.
Because something is not BIG, does not mean it is not useful.
The computer is a tiny burst of power. Look at what it is capable of.
Think ahead.