Article Posted on : - Mar 23, 2011

US Air Force F-22 Raptor

MONTANA (BNS): US Air Force has successfully conducted first supersonic test flight of F-22 Raptor aircraft using biofuel.

The aircraft was powered by a 50-50 fuel blend of conventional petroleum-based JP-8 and biofuel derived from camelina seeds.

The F-22 Raptor has performed several maneuvers including a supercruise at 40,000 ft. reaching speeds of 1.5 Mach without using the engine's afterburner.

"The F-22 has performed flawlessly on the biofuel blend citing no noticeable differences from traditional JP-8," Jeff Braun, Director of the Alternative Fuels Certification Division, part of the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, said.

According to the US Air Force, the flight test consisted of air starts, operability and performance at different speeds and altitude throughout the flight envelope.

To date, Sustainable Oils have successfully powered a variety of aircraft with the biofuel, including commercial airlines (Continental, Japan Airlines, KLM) and multiple military aircraft (A-10 Warthog, FA-18 Hornet, and MH-60S Seahawk Helicopter).