The aerial dance of DLRs Falcon 20E and #A350 operating on 100% SAF

Watch as DLRs Falcon 20E gets within 100 metres of this #A350 operating on unblended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Soaring among the clouds above the south of France, the flight test campaign captured valuable in-flight data of SAFs emissions performance.

Initial findings from a world-first study of the impact of 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on both engines of a commercial jet have provided promising early results.

The ECLIF3 study, involving Airbus, Rolls-Royce, German research centre DLR and SAF producer Neste, marks the first time 100% SAF has been measured simultaneously on both engines of a commercial passenger aircraft an Airbus A350 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

In-flight emissions tests and associated ground testing on the ECLIF3 programme began earlier this year and have recently resumed. The interdisciplinary team, which also includes researchers from the National Research Council of Canada and The University of Manchester, plans to publish its results in academic journals towards the end of next year and 2023.