Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator Explorer, a United Airlines 737-10, will fly with SAF and traditional jet fuel separately. NASA’s DC-8 Airborne Science Lab will follow and measure emissions and contrail ice particles. They want to see how SAF affects contrails and if it reduces atmospheric warming.

The tests are supported by the FAA, GE Aerospace, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and World Energy. World Energy will supply SAF from California.

This project is part of Boeing and NASA‘s ongoing partnership to study SAF’s impact on emissions. SAF can cut emissions by up to 85% compared to regular jet fuel and improve air quality near airports.

Boeing’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Chris Raymond, is hopeful about the project. NASA’s Rich Wahls believes flight testing is crucial for understanding SAF’s effects. United’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Lauren Riley, is excited about the potential of SAF. GE Aerospace is proud to support the research. DLR’s Markus Fischer sees this as an important step in reducing aviation’s climate impact.

Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator program aims to have 100% SAF-compatible commercial planes by 2030.

The hybrid-electric propulsion system of the demonstrator combines a fuel-burning engine from Pratt & Whitney with a 1-megawatt electric motor created by Collins Aerospace. More effective engine performance will be possible during the various flying phases, including takeoff, climb, and cruise, through the hybrid-electric system. Business divisions of RTX include Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney.

The development and design of the High Voltage High Power EWIS for the hybrid-electric propulsion system will be led by GKN Aerospace in the Netherlands. After the design process, GKN Aerospace will be in charge of producing the required hardware and mounting it on the demonstrator aircraft.

Modern electrical distribution systems that are powering a substantial portion of today’s passenger flights and military aircraft are provided by GKN Aerospace, a renowned leader in engine systems and EWIS solutions for aircraft. Teams from all over the world, including Montreal, Canada, where the hybrid-electric flight demonstrator project is situated, provide assistance for GKN Aerospace’s EWIS centre of competence in the Netherlands.

This workhorse helicopter seems to be capable of almost anything: S-92s transport oil workers to offshore rigs, assist in border enforcement, and will soon transport the American president aboard Marine One. Even a booster rocket falling from space was caught in the air by an S-92 in 2021.

Two CT7-8A turboshaft engines from GE Aerospace, one of a class of engines that have accumulated more than 100 million flight hours since its introduction in the late 1970s, are powering this versatile helicopter.

As part of their maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) at ITP Aero, a Spanish company that also services CT7 engines for Leonardo’s AW189/AW149 and the S-92, CT7 engines will now operate on a mixture of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and conventional jet fuel. The recently announced effort intends to further integrate SAF into commercial aircraft operations while reducing CO2 emissions at ITP’s site.

When it comes to CT7 engine maintenance, GE Aerospace and ITP Aero are taking the initiative to employ a SAF blend as they both work towards a lower-carbon future in which there may be an energy transition for helicopters and aeroplanes. SAF can be produced from a range of materials, including biomass, algae, fats, greases, and even collected CO2 and hydrogen. A standard for 100% SAF is currently being developed, however all CT7 engines, a development of the T700, can now run on a mixture of up to 50% SAF and normal aviation fuel.

One of the CT7’s selling points has always been its ease of maintenance. A CT7 that requires maintenance is taken to a specialised facility, like the ITP Aero facility in Albacete, Spain, which was first settled by Moors on the banks of the Don Juan River in La Mancha. Any engine that is put back into operation must undergo testing and qualification procedures.