Airplanes Blog - Airplanes

New Airpower Displayed at International Biofuel Exposition

This year’s edition of the International Biofuel Exposition will take place at the Hyatt Hotel in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The exposition has proved to be the perfect launching pad for Embraer who will be showcasing their exciting new Ipanema aircraft at the event. The Inpanema plane is alcohol-powered, so providing a great demonstration of the capabilities of biofuel.

According to Satoshi Yakota, the executive vice-president of Embraer and a member of the department of Strategic Planning and Technology Development, “Embraer believes that the growth of the aviation industry will use sustainable biofuels in the mid- to long-term. That is why the Company invests in research and development of environmentally efficient products, including biofuels. The Ipanema is proof of that fact and is the first airplane in the world to be produced in a series that is certified to fly on alcohol.” The International Biofuel Exposition will be held at the same time as the 1st International Conference on Biofuels. This year’s conference will have the theme: Biofuels as a vector of sustainable development. Clearly Embraer technological advancements in the aeronautical industry falls perfectly in line with the sort of ideals that will be discussed at this year’s conference. The conference and exposition will also be a place where the many challenges and opportunities presented by biofuels can be discussed and solved. The event will be attended by international agencies, lawmakers, private enterprises, various corporations and NGS and a number of governmental representatives.

The Ipanema will no doubt take center stage at the event, providing a real-life example of the potential uses of biofuels. The aircraft is manufactured by Embraer and sold by Neiva. The aircraft is a crop-duster that can be used for other things such as fighting fires and pulling gliders. This seemingly insignificant aircraft was initially produced as a gasoline-powered aircraft. It has since become the first series airplane in the world to be certified for alcohol-powered flight. The alchohol used to fuel the aircraft is two or even three times cheaper than other fuels used to power flight, making it a much more affordable alternative. Not only is alcohol cheaper, but it reduces operating and maintenance costs by improving the overall performance of the plane. It also has a low impact on the environment. If you want to learn more, make sure that you don’t miss out on this years International Biofuel Exposition from November 17 – 21, 2008.

Air Force Week Festivities Start This Weekend

Airplane lovers simply have to make the most of Southern California’s first Air Force Week this coming weekend. The festivities will feature great interactive expos, futuristic air and space demonstrations, legendary film festivals, spectacular military aircraft flyovers and much, much more.

Airshow China A Huge Success

Sales at China’s biennial air show skyrocketed this year with the show closing with total sales valued at around US$4 billion. There were concerns that the global financial crisis would affect the show negatively. Now, it seems, those concerns were completely unfounded since there was around a US$1 billion increase in total sales compared to the last show.