Chicken fat may not sound as pleasant as camelina or jatropha but it could soon end up being elevated from the deep fat fryer at KFC to aircraft fuel tanks.
NASA recently tested renewable biofuel made from chicken and beef tallow in one of the four engines of a DC-8, and has reported positive results.
Ground tests conducted by NASA found that black carbon emissions from chicken fat fuel were 90% less at idle and 60% less at take-off thrust than standard jet fuel.
Scientists plan to spend the next few months analysing the results and drawing up conclusions.
Hopefully the jet fuel-producing chickens of the future will be free range and organic.
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