NASA is flying a DC-8 "flying laboratory" out of its Dryden facility to conduct biofuel tests that aim to collect data on emissions, engine performance and contrails with biofuels, the agency announced Friday. The flights began on Feb. 28 and will continue for three weeks. The Alternative Fuel Effects on Contrails and Cruise Emissions (ACCESS) research will take the DC-8 as high as 40,000 feet. A NASA Falcon jet will fly in trail collecting data over a range of 300 feet to 10 miles behind the larger jet. The DC-8 will be flown on both JP-8 jet fuel and a 50-50 blend of JP8 and fuel derived from camelina plants. But commercial aircraft flying in the region may also serve as targets of opportunity for the test, according to NASA.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/news/nasa-begins-biofuel-emissions-flight-tests