Sustainable Fuel Research Continues at Bell Textron

Bell Textron has continued its operational testing of sustainable aviation fuel in its fleet, making a successful flight of a 525 Relentless on the green technology. Bell has notably incorporated the fuel throughout its training and demonstration fleet since March 2021. The 525 team is working with the FAA on Type Inspection Authorization flight testing, and submitting certification artifacts to the FAA in parallel. The aircraft is designed to support all long-range rotary-wing missions with a significant reduction in fuel consumption compared to other large twin-engine aircraft. 

Bell's SAF is sourced from Avfuel, and, as one of the brand's biggest rotorcraft user clients, has contributed to the continuous development of the fuel. The biofuel used in particular is Neste MY SAF, made from recycled, renewable, sustainable waste and residue materials. Neste has focused on sourcing cooking oil, animal and fish fat waste, and vegetable oil tailings to be turned into their raw feedstock for fuels. Since early 2021, such waste has accounted for 92% of their total renewable raw material input globally, with their refineries capable of operating on 100% waste if accumulated. Bell hopes to rely increasingly on Avfuel to eventually achieve their Textron 2025 Sustainable Footprint goal for a full 20% reduction across the enterprise. 

“The Bell 525 continues to demonstrate unprecedented performance as it progresses through flight testing,” said Doug May, vice president of Flight at Bell. “Showcasing the aircraft’s usage of SAF further reinforces its position as a true 21st century aircraft, capable of bringing more sustainable practices to the industry and future customers.” 

Michafl Thacker, executive VP of innovation and commercial Business, said “At Bell, our goal is to set the standard for clean aviation and pave the way for a greener future by minimizing our operational impact. This is a major milestone in our sustainability journey, and we look forward to implementing more carbon emission reduction practices in the future."

FMI: www.bellflight.com