avion à alcool

CONT: Le premier avion à alcool du monde produit en série, l'Ipanema, sera livré à une compagnie de fumigation aérienne [...] par une filiale de l'avionneur brésilien Embraer [...] Jusqu'à présent on avait modifié les moteurs, de certains avions pour qu'ils puissent fonctionner à l'alcool, mais l'Ipanema sera le premier avion à alcool fabriqué en série dans le monde à être livré.

CONT: Something that would make ecologists happy is a clean airplane. And the Ipanema, Brazil's first totally alcohol-powered aircraft, is almost off the ground. The project has been in development for two years, under the wing of Neiva, a division of the aircraft manufacturer Embraer and Brazil's largest agricultural aircraft manufacturer. The Ipanema does not pollute because, unlike conventionally fuelled engines, its alcohol-fuelled engine releases no lead residues into the atmosphere. However, for farmers, the real advantage is low operating cost. ""Alcohol is four times less expensive than regular aviation fuel. So, while the alcohol engine consumes a little more fuel, just like automobiles, the bottom line is a savings of about 60 percent"" ... The alcohol-fuelled engine also boasts five percent more power. This slight advantage will allow the plane to carry extra quantities of crop-dusting products. Another advantage is that this type of engine runs cooler, giving it a longer maintenance cycle and useful life ... The aircraft is still in the approval process, so the first alcohol-powered Ipanema will not fly until March 2005, after it has been completely certified.