Air New Zealand has successfully undertaken the world's first commercial aviation test flight using the second-generation biofuel jatropha. A series of key performance tests were conducted at various altitudes during the two hour flight over New Zealand's North Island in which a 50:50 jatropha and Jet A1 fuel blend was used to power one of four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines on the Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400.
Air New Zealand chief executive officer Rob Fyfe said the flight was a milestone for the airline and commercial aviation: "Today we stand at the earliest stages of sustainable fuel development and an important moment in aviation history.
The jatropha plant, Air NZ says, is a great source for earth-friendly fuel--it grows with little water and produces an inedible oil, and they've been sourcing their jatropha from sustainable plantations in India and South East Africa.
Check the news at: http://kn.theiet.org/news/jan09/air-nz-biofuel-flight.cfm
For more information on the fuel check: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatropha_oil
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment