In the United States (US), Bell Textron, the rotorcraft division of Textron Inc. has announced that it has completed its first flight fueled solely by 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with its Bell 505 becoming the first-ever single-engine helicopter to fly using 100 percent SAF. This milestone flight was achieved by close cooperation between Bell Textron, Safran Helicopter Engines, GKN Aerospace, Neste, and Virent.
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Safran Helicopter Engines, manufacturer of the Arrius 2R engine on the Bell 505, and GKN Aerospace, the fuel system component supplier, conducted thorough testing on the engine and fuel system components.
This flight is a monumental achievement for sustainability and decarbonization in the rotorcraft industry. Showcasing a single-engine aircraft’s flight capabilities with 100 percent SAF signals Bell’s commitment to alternative fuel usage and builds on its sustainability practices in its flight operations, said Michael Thacker, EVP of Commercial Business, Bell.
Neste supplied the SAF and collaborated with Virent, the supplier of the bio-based aromatic additive, to blend, test, and deliver the SAF for this project as a 100 percent drop-in fuel.
Neste is working closely together with forerunners in the aviation industry on verifying that aircraft can run safely on 100 percent SAF. This successful collaboration demonstrates that we are one step closer to enabling the entire aviation industry to take full advantage of 100 percent SAF as the key means to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions of air travel, said Jonathan Wood, VP of Global Commercial and Technical, Renewable Aviation at Neste.
SAF, made from renewable raw materials, such as used cooking oil, must currently be blended with conventional fossil jet fuel because SAF does not contain a component called “aromatics,” which is required to meet today’s aviation fuel specifications.
Virent manufactures an aromatics component made from plant sugars, which was added to Neste’s 100 percent SAF, eliminating the need to blend SAF with fossil fuel.
The SAF supplied for this test flight by Neste is therefore a “100 percent drop-in” replacement for fossil-based aviation fuel, requiring no engine modifications.
