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| A-10 tests alcohol fuel. Air Force photo |
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 40th Flight Test Squadron made history June 28 flying the first aircraft to use a new fuel blend derived from alcohol. The fuel, ATJ (Alcohol-to-Jet), is the third alternative fuel to be evaluated by the Air Force as a replacement for standard petroleum-derived JP-8 aviation fuel. "The A-10 is the first aircraft ever to fly on this fuel," said Jeff Braun, Chief for the Air Force Alternative Fuel Certification Division, at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. It flew without any issues. ATJ is a cellulousic-based fuel that can be derived using wood, paper, grass, anything that is a cell-based material. The sugars extracted from these materials are fermented into alcohols, which are then hydro-processed into the aviation-grade kerosenes used for aviation fuel. (Source:
Team Eglin Public Affairs, 07/02/12)
