US Air Force biofuel flight test a success

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The U.S. Air Force’s initial test of a 50 percent Camelina biofuel in an A-10 Thunderbolt II was successful, an aviation milestone as a military or civilian aircraft had not been flown until now using a biofuels blend in all engines, according to the agency.

The nearly 90-minute test flight, which took place at Eglin Air Base in the Florida Panhandle, is part of a wide-ranging effort by the US military to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Other flights are planned later this year.

The U.S. imports about 70 percent of its oil consumption. The military is the single largest U.S. oil consumer, making it global operations potentially vulnerable to supply disruptions.

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