World First! Kemble Flying Club’s Ikarus C42 G-KFCA has flown into the history books with a Guinness Book of Records confirmed World First ever flight using 100% synthetic fuel.
Zero Petroleum’s synthetic UL91 fuel is manufactured by extracting hydrogen from water and carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide. Using energy generated from renewable sources like wind or solar, these are combined to create the synthetic aviation fuel (SAF).
This innovation is part of the RAF’s Project MARTIN and has the potential to save 80-90% of carbon per flight, supporting the RAF’s vision that synthetic fuels will have a major role in powering the fast jets of the future.
While the RAF goal is to reduce their Carbon footprint the wider implication is this fuel could eventually power all aircraft types and irradicate aviation’s negative contribution to pollution and global warming - at the same time saving hundreds of thousands of jobs in the engine manufacture industry and associated supply chain.
KFC boss David Young said: “what a privilege this has been to be a part of the RAF project and a team that have created a special moment in aviation history. This is a marker forever, the amazing moment our aircraft proved to the World that a truly synthetic fuel can save the aviation sector!”
“And the fuel can be manufactured where it is needed completely removing the energy cost of distribution of fuel in massive oil tankers and the risk of oil spills.”
For more information on Zero Petroleum see www.zeropetroleum.com
YOU CAN FLY THIS NOW TRULY FAMOUS AIRCRAFT AT KEMBLE FLYING CLUB! BUY A VOUCHER NOW AND ASK TO FLY IN KFCA WHEN YOU BOOK YOUR FLIGHT.
How did the RAF do it?
They chose our aircraft because RAF Test Pilot, Group Captain Willy Hackett, was converted to microlights by dy last year and he has been experiencing flying KFCA on other projects.
He understands the performance and economy of these aircraft and realised this was the best platform - especially with a limited supply of the SAF - to test the fuel.
Next in step CFS the Rotax engine distributor with all their technical expertise. CFS bench ran a new 80hp Rotax 912 engine with SAF and scrutinised its performance.
The bench tested engine was brought to Kemble Flying Club and fitted to G-KFCA and ground run. The British Microlight Aircraft Association Technical Office had stepped up to arrange approval of the engine change and flight with the novel fuel.
Willy Hackett pressed the start button at 11:30 on 2nd November and the engine fired up into beautifully smooth normal life! The aircraft flew around the airfield formating for a while with G-MEGZ flown by Instructor Mark Hayter who was with a photographer.
After landing and taxing back to the small group of VIP’s at the KFC hangar Group Captain Hackett proclaimed the aircraft engine performed perfectly normally with no detectable difference to flying with normal petrol.
The test engine has been removed and quarantined for inspection and further tests.
For a detailed video follow the URL below:
