The first aircraft certified for ethanol operations, Embraer’s Ipanema, is quite a nifty sight to behold. During a tour of Embraer’s Sao Jose dos Campos headquarters and assembly facility last week, the company’s executives were generous enough to give a motley crew of journalists an up-close-and-personal look at the green machine, an agricultural aircraft that was wholly designed in Brazil.
The original low-wing Ipanema entered service in 1973, but the ethanol-fuelled version – of which there are now 196 in operation - was certified well over 30 years later. Of this amount, a total 41 Ipanemas constitute new-build aircraft and 155 are converted aircraft.
The Botucatu facility in Sao Paulo that manufactures the Ipanema is being expanded.
Okay, so can the ethanol used in general aviation operations be used for jets? Sorry. No. The mass and volumetric heats of combustion do not meet the needs of jet aircraft. It’s a low-speed bird after all. But a cool one nonetheless! Check out the latest official shots from Embraer, and a little personal one of a Kate Winslet-wannabe off the coast of Islabela in Brazil. And then read on for Embraer’s take on the biofuels that just might work for jets.
Embraer’s director of strategies and technologies for the environment, Graciliano Campos, says three sources for biofuel are showing the most promise to Embraer – Babassu, derived from a palm tree in Brazil; Jathropa, commonly referred to as the ‘plague’ due to the ease at which it grows; and algae.
The last of these, algae is “150 times more productive than any other biomass area” and has the potential to “win the technology race”, says Campos.
He confirms that Embraer is involved in all three projects. The company this year is investing a total $250 million into development of technology and pre-competitive technology, which includes biofuel studies, he says.
Comments (6)
Nice winglets
Posted by Paul Richfield | April 18, 2008 3:06 PM
Posted on April 18, 2008 15:06
Your workday must be hell... Having to go through all the trouble of packing for a trip to brazil, When you're there you have to tour this production facility of this beuty-in-a-geek a/c.
Did they make you eat in a fancy restaurant thet evening. My hart goes out to you
I fully understand why your winglets seem to be of the drooped type.
(nice idear to combine raked wingtips with drooped winglets though - did you patent that yet?)
:-)
Posted by ikkeman | April 18, 2008 5:01 PM
Posted on April 18, 2008 17:01
Not yet. But I'm trying to secure a patent on the freckly fuselage :)
Posted by Mary Kirby | April 18, 2008 7:24 PM
Posted on April 18, 2008 19:24
Ilhabela is really a little piece of the paradise.
Hope you have enjoyed your stay :-)
Greetings from Brazil.
Posted by Marcelo | April 18, 2008 11:21 PM
Posted on April 18, 2008 23:21
The drooped winglets with their delicate extensions remind me of similar studies carried out back in the 1970s.
But these are so much nicer!
Posted by David Jefferis | April 21, 2008 12:30 PM
Posted on April 21, 2008 12:30
Is that you in the swimsuit (back to the camera)? Nice hair!
Posted by Ivan Charvat | April 21, 2008 10:54 PM
Posted on April 21, 2008 22:54