Fast Green Raptor

Posted 18 March 2011
Photo by Kevin North

A US Air Force F-22 Raptor was successfully flown at supercruise speeds on 18 March 2011 fueled by a 50–50 blend of conventional petroleum-based JP-8 and biofuel derived from camelina, a weedlike plant not used for food. The flight occurred at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California. During the flight, the Raptor reached speeds of Mach 1.5 and an altitude of 40,000 feet. The test flight was the capstone of a series of ground and flight test events with the Raptor using the biofuel blend that were conducted by members of the 411th Flight Test Squadron in mid-March. The Air Force selected the F-22 as the pathfinder for the biofuel blend flight test for all fighter aircraft.

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