A-10 Thunderbolt Flies on Alcohol

摘要

On June 28, the 40th Flight Test Squadron based at Eglin AFB, Florida, made history by flying an A-10 Thunderbolt II using a new fuel blend derived from alcohol. The fuel, known as ATJ (alcohol-to-jet), is the third alternative fuel to be evaluated by the US Air Force for fleet-wide use as a replacement for standard petroleum-derived JP-8 aviation . fuel. Other alternative fuels include synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) derived from coal and natural gas; and a bio-mass fuel derived from plant oils and animal fats known as 'hydroprocessed renewable jet'. ATJ is a cellulousic-based fuel derived from cell-based material such as wood, paper or grass, the sugars from which are fermented into alcohols which are then hydro-processed into aviation-grade kerosene.