In a first, IAF’s AN-32 plane with indigenous bio-jet fuel takes off from Leh airfield
SOURCE: Times Now Digital
AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF), powered with a 10 per cent blend of Indian bio-jet fuel took-off from Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, Leh on Friday. This is the first time that both engines of the aircraft were powered by the bio-jet indigenous fuel. “The IAF’s AN-32 aircraft was flight tested and its performance was validated at Chandigarh Air Base prior to undertaking the operational flight to Leh,” the IAF said in a statement.
On January 24, the IAF landed an An-32 aircraft with 10 per cent bio-jet fuel at Leh. What makes the flight a feat is the altitude of Leh airfield and its proximity to the Chinese border. Located at an altitude of 10,682 feet above mean sea level, Leh is among the world’s most difficult operational airfields. The turbulent weather conditions in Leh pose a major challenge not only to specially powered engines but even to the conventionally powered engines.
“Evaluating the performance of bio-jet fuel under these conditions is important from operational perspectives. It validates the capability of the aero-engine to operate smoothly with bio-jet fuel at the extremities of the operational envelope. The tests were conducted by a team comprising of test pilots from the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, Bengaluru and pilots from the operational squadrons,” the Ministry of Defence said in a press release.
The flight also displays IAF’s ability to successfully absorb new technologies and its ability to adapt to challenging operational conditions by incorporating the modifications. “Bio-jet fuel is produced from non-edible ‘Tree Borne Oils’, grown and procured from the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh state. IAF’s efforts would assist in reducing carbon footprint and India’s dependence on crude imports,” the MoD statement further said.
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