Chickens Can Fly Jets

cnet reports that NASA and the U.S. Air Force could soon be fueling their aircraft on jet fuel derived from recycled chicken fat. Seventeen organizations are participating in Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment II, or AAFEX II, to see if hydrotreated renewable jet fuel is a viable, eco-friendly fuel for jets.

This month NASA researchers drove cross-country in a specially equipped 32-foot van to deliver the hydrotreated renewable jet fuel to test sites in California. The tests will be of a 50-50 mix of biofuel and regular jet fuel, biofuel only, and jet fuel only. One initial test challenged a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor at supersonic speeds over Edwards Air Force Base in California using a 50-50 mix of the biofuel and regular jet fuel.