The ‘Green Hornet’ takes off on its April 22 test flight. (US Navy)
The US Navy flew an F/A-18F Super Hornet powered by a 50:50 mixture of JP8 jet fuel and a camelina oil based biofuel at supersonic speeds to commemorate Earth Day on April 22.
The flight saw the aircraft, dubbed the ‘Green Hornet’, reach Mach 1.2 and was the first time a biofuel blend had been used with afterburners engaged. The Navy intends to conduct a further 14 demonstration flights totalling 23 flight hours to test and certify the blend, with the intention of clearing it for use on other types and for introducing the blend into operational service by 2012.
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The Green Hornet program is part of the US Navy’s larger Green Fleet initiative, which plans to have 50 per cent of the service’s energy produced by non-fossil based fuels by 2020.
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