Recently I was thinking about how far the automobile industry has come in the past several decades in terms of alternative fuels (e.g. biodiesel, electric cars, etc.,) and I was wondering what proposals, if any, have been made for the future of the aviation industry. Inevitably our supply of fossil fuels will become more and more scarce, and while I'm not suggesting we will run completely out in the near future (predictions change on a daily if not hourly basis,) at some point the cost of fossil fuel-powered aircraft will skyrocket. This may be in the next half century, or well into the future. My question is this: what is the most realistic source of alternative fuel for aircraft after the current fossil fuels are no longer a viable option? For the sake of argument, let's say they run out in fifty years. Do we turn to the biofuel route? Or do we take a more drastic approach and put a small nuclear reactor in a plane? Or even make them solar powered?
I know numerous aircraft have flown on biofuels, or a mix of biofuel and regular jet fuel, most notably a British Airways aircraft on a transatlantic flight. I also recall a solar powered aircraft circumnavigating the globe in the recent past.
I apologize if this has been discussed before, I searched around for a bit and didn't come up with much.
-Chris
I know numerous aircraft have flown on biofuels, or a mix of biofuel and regular jet fuel, most notably a British Airways aircraft on a transatlantic flight. I also recall a solar powered aircraft circumnavigating the globe in the recent past.
I apologize if this has been discussed before, I searched around for a bit and didn't come up with much.
-Chris
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