Watch this RAF jet get refuelled mid-air with recycled cooking oil
For the first time, a Typhoon fighter jet from Royal Air Force (RAF) Coningsby was successfully refueled while in the air using not jet fuel but used cooking oil.
The Royal Air Force mixed conventional jet fuel with sustainable aviation fuel. This will enable the first air-to-air refueling of Typhoon and C-130 Hercules planes with a sustainable aviation fuel blend.
The fuel was supplied to the Typhoon and Hercules by an RAF Voyager, which in November 2022, underwent successful initial tests in which it utilized only sustainable aviation fuel.
Approximately 46%–48% of the standard gasoline was blended with the Voyager trial’s remaining fuel.
The fuel was recertified by the RAF in collaboration with Air BP to meet the criteria necessary for a mission to be safe and successful.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a combination of normal fuel and “waste-based sustainable feedstocks, such as used cooking oil.” Compared to traditional jet fuel, it often cuts lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80%.
“This is another significant accomplishment in the Royal Air Force’s extraordinary effort to boost their usage of sustainable fuel,” told defense minister Baroness Goldie.
The minister remarked that this vital engagement with the knowledgeable defense industry and scientific teams in the UK is key for the RAF’s future resilience since it might have positive effects on the environment and operational resilience.
“We have learned a great deal from this experiment and now have confidence in our capacity to employ blends of Sustainable Aviation Fuel now and in the future,” said Squadron Leader Evans, RAF Supply Project Manager.
“We think we are the first Air Force to undertake an Air-to-Air refuel mission with a sustained aviation fuel blend at this level (46-48%), since it was a first for both the Typhoon and the Hercules”.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to Air BP for using their knowledge to help us with the process of re-manufacturing and re-certification to achieve this excellent outcome.”
The trial proved there is no performance penalty for working toward emissions reduction goals.
Source: The Lincolnite