Bell claims SAF landmark for its 505 chopper

The Bell 505 helicopter is the first single-engine chopper to fly with 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Bell Textron said on February 21. Bell said it collaborated with Safran Helicopter Engines, Neste, GKN Aerospace and Virent to carry out the landmark flight, which Michael Thacker, executive vice president, commercial business, described as a “monumental achievement for sustainability and decarbonisation in the rotorcraft industry.” “Our engines are certified to operate on up to 50% SAF and our objective is to certify in the coming years the use of 100% SAF, which can potentially result in carbon life-cycle emissions reductions by up