Helicopters fly by biofuel

The US Navy successfully tested the first flight of an unmanned bio-fueled MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter.

>>> Make your first flight using biofuels

The helicopter was the first US Navy drone to use biofuel technology, taking off on Friday, Sept. 30, at Webster in St. Inigoes, Maryland. The fuel of the aircraft is blended between JP-5 aviation fuel and camelina-derived plant fuels.

The use of this fuel blend cuts carbon dioxide emissions by up to 75 percent compared to conventional aviation fuel.

The Fire Scout flight represents a broader effort by the US Navy to increase independent energy and to develop clean energy. A total of seven aircraft have been tested using biofuel including the F / A-18 Super Hornet.

"We are very pleased to be able to add the MQ-8B to our list of successful biofuel flights, giving us a step closer to achieving our Navy's energy goals ," said the Admiral. Said Bill Shannon, executive director of the unmanned aircraft program.

Designed to operate from all airborne engines, self-propelled and amphibious, Northrop Grumman's maker of Fire Scout can be used at sea and in intelligence and surveillance systems. and reconnaissance.