Virgin's coconut-powered 747 completes first flight

Finally, mankind has the answer to that eternal question, how many coconuts does it take to go from London to Amsterdam? The answer: 150,000 -- converted into biofuel and poured into a special 747, of course. Virgin Atlantic completed its first biofuel tests yesterday with solid results, using a mix of 20 percent coconut oil and 80 percent jet fuel to power a 747 -- a first for the airline industry. There's still a long way to go, of course -- only one of the jet's four tanks carried the alternative fuel, and even Richard Branson admits that giant coconut plantations devoted to airline fuel probably aren't workable -- but despite harsh criticism from skeptics, it's still an impressive achievement. Branson says that although this test didn't use a viable fuel, it's a landmark proof-of-concept -- and that next-generation biofuels made from algae may one day power all our aircraft. Sure, that'd be nice, but we'll stick with tiki-power -- anyone have a drink umbrella?

[Via The Register]

[Conor @ Feb 25th 2008 5:33PM]

He was holding a potato and telling everyone it was potato powered on the news!!

[Jeff @ Feb 25th 2008 5:53PM]

It could be powered by a big green salad for all that it matters, this was just a publicity stunt. The point of biofuels isn't that it's cool to make things run on stuff that grows. The point of biofuels is that you hopefully use less resources than can grow to replace them. When it takes 150,000 coconuts to make one flight of a 747, then you can imagine how devastating that would be to the environment if every plane did the same thing on every flight. It would probably be worse than using Jet A/kerosene.

And the same is true for any other kind of biofuel we currently have. Yeah, maybe one day we'll have this algae that'll grow so fast that all it'll take is a few giant farms of it somewhere to power all of our aircraft. So wait until we actually have this stuff and then demonstrate that. All this test proved was that you can fly a 747 on 150,000 coconuts, and that doesn't really help anybody.

[madgamer @ Feb 25th 2008 6:21PM]

Actually it was 150k just to make 20% of the fuel for the flight. The other 80% was still jet fuel. It would require 750k coconuts for that flight it it was pure bio fuel. It's also worth considering that in flight terms, that is a really short hop, so a real 3+ hour flight would likely use an insane amount of coconuts. Just think, if you fueled all of the flights in the world like that for 1 day, you would probably use a years worth of farming resources for the whole planet or something. At least it was admittedly just a publicity stunt.

[Jarhead2012 @ Feb 25th 2008 6:49PM]

I don't want to say this just to add another actually, but I have to. Actually, only 20% of ONE ENGINE's fuel was made of the coconuts.

[erhan @ Feb 25th 2008 8:07PM]

****BREAKING NEWS***** --------
World leaders and agriculturists say "There is a coconut Shortage."
Damn it Virgin!
I say strap a big solar panel on this sucka. ;)

[BobbyW @ Feb 25th 2008 8:58PM]

Call it what you want. You have to start somewhere. Alexander Graham Bell didn't start with a video phone.

[Flashpoint @ Feb 25th 2008 9:52PM]

This is stupid.

YOU are suppossed to put the LIME IN DE COCONUT AND SHAKE IT ALL UP.

[fanman @ Feb 26th 2008 1:02PM]

I feel proud to be British.

[Phil @ Feb 25th 2008 5:34PM]

Thank god a airline stops snobbing about single olives and actually does something to fix fuel costs... there are even studies that say bio fuel will cost less, yet the airlines are too strapped for cash to make the switch?

Airlines = FTL

Private Bio Fuel Jet = FTW

[bigbird @ Feb 25th 2008 5:46PM]

Virgin = Sir Richard = Publicity Stunt

[Phil @ Feb 25th 2008 6:32PM]

So what? It shows that Virgin is willing to go there and do that... besides, someone has to create a benchmark and take the first step, as long as they do that i don't care about their motivations. Plus it sets a bar for other airlines to meet/surpass, thus creating a competitive environment to transfer to bio fuel

[Andir3.0 @ Feb 25th 2008 7:51PM]

Exactly. You can do what Gates is doing and give away your money to people who can't/won't work, educate or move to make a decent living, or you can do something to save the planet and advance society, even if it is a publicity stunt. It's a proof of concept. I wish more people were willing to advance our world instead of trying to "fix" a problem that's not going to go away unless we magically convert the world to communism and outlaw these corporations that are taking the money form these people and making more poor.

[asha @ Feb 25th 2008 8:02PM]

The reality is that bio fuels aren't going fix the problems of pollution or fuel supply. When you take in to consideration all the processing required to create bio fuels, the only difference is that we aren't pumping it out of the ground.

Bio fuel is really only an attempt to try put off dealing with the ever increasing demand for fuel when we are racing toward a situation of no oil or gasoline left. At some point, we're going to have to realize that we can't put any more cars on the road.

[phanbouy @ Feb 25th 2008 5:34PM]

It's not a question of where it grips it! A 50-ton plane cannot carry a 4 pound coconut!

[bigbird @ Feb 25th 2008 5:38PM]

Brave Brave Sir Richard, oh Sir Richard the Brave.

He filled his plane up with Biofuel, and then said I rule I rule!

He fixed his surchases with BA, then he did admit it, the fool.

Brave Brave Sir Richard, oh Sir Richard the Brave.

[Benhur @ Feb 25th 2008 5:38PM]

It could be carried by an African plane!

[jmiday @ Feb 25th 2008 5:42PM]

huh?

[Ron Smith @ Feb 25th 2008 6:02PM]

But then, of course, the African is non-migratory, so they wouldn't be carrying a coconut anywhere.

[phanbouy @ Feb 25th 2008 5:56PM]

Listen, the jet engine needs to turn its impellers at 30,000 beats per minute. Am I right?

[Benhur @ Feb 25th 2008 6:00PM]

Oh, yeah, I agree with that.

[Brandon @ Feb 25th 2008 6:28PM]

Suppose two planes tied it up and carried it together?

[Fubar @ Feb 25th 2008 6:35PM]

...then...

SIR RICHARD IS A WITCH!!!

[Daniel @ Feb 25th 2008 7:22PM]

Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

[thethirdmoose @ Feb 25th 2008 7:36PM]

Yes, but where would they grip it?

[Ender Wiggin @ Feb 25th 2008 8:07PM]

It could grip it by the husk.

P.S. Sorry that this is also posted by me later on. Somehow Engadget didn't understand "reply."

[LordFarkward @ Feb 25th 2008 8:59PM]

please tell me i'm not the only one who doesn't understand this string of "higest ranked" posts...

enlighten me, please?

[Darryl @ Feb 25th 2008 9:24PM]

"You're using coconuts!" Ah, the memories. Of that movie I won't name here.

[Kamokazi @ Feb 25th 2008 9:33PM]

@Farquad-

You missed rule #176.08 subsection C of the Engadget Posting Prerequsites. (confirmation emails have been a bit lax lately).

"Thou shalt have viewedeth thy greatest film doth created on yonder planet, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, before thine shalt be allowed to posteth forthwith upon this holy comment system, in thy mercy of Lord Mod. Amen." (That was also a very poor reference to a part of the movie. It involved a hand greande. Yeah wtf? You need to watch it, it's required geek viewing-you're probably missing quite a few other jokes.)

[LordFarkward @ Feb 26th 2008 6:52AM]

thx kamokazi!

BT here i come!

[Harlo @ Feb 26th 2008 11:03AM]

"how many coconuts does it take to go from London to Amsterdam? The answer: 150,000"

Three sir.

[bob sakamano @ Feb 25th 2008 5:35PM]

Nilay,

This was a great topic for you to have ended with, "eh?"

I don't think you have done one yet today! Must be monday!

[Mr. B @ Feb 25th 2008 5:39PM]

I wonder if he has any intention of repeating the feat with the 80/20 mix on all four engines instead of one.

[Dylan K @ Feb 25th 2008 5:42PM]

Like the ancient Hawaiians always said, the coconut, though hard and brown, in the spring gives milk to the sand after being kissed by the green water.

[Heath Stahl @ Feb 25th 2008 5:42PM]

So does the jet exhaust smell like a Pina Colada? That would make living near an airport a little more bearable.

[jmiday @ Feb 25th 2008 5:48PM]

I have a grass skirt powered 747 in my basement

[kentavos @ Feb 25th 2008 5:55PM]

Damn, I had the exact same thought when I saw the headline. Gilllligaaannnn!!!

[Keith Laubscher @ Feb 25th 2008 5:49PM]

Now the better question is "was the radio powered by a coconut too?" If so they professor is gonna be pretty pissed they stole his idea.

[Kris S. @ Feb 25th 2008 5:53PM]

Fill flash! It looks so unnatural!

[Nimblesquirrel @ Feb 25th 2008 6:04PM]

Only one of the four tanks carried the fuel, which means only one of the four jet engines was running on the biofuel blend (they aren't even running on pure biofuel yet). It is an interesting development, but since Air New Zealand has been working on this since last year, I'm calling this a PR stunt for Sir Richard to boost his airline.
Now the next step will be to run all four engines on the blend, or even run the engines on pure biofuel.

[hp540 @ Feb 25th 2008 6:10PM]

Did everyone just ignore the first comment?

Powering a 747 with biofuels is just stupid. 150,000 coconuts for a single engine? Imagine the environmental damage that would result if every flight was powered by biofuels. We'd probably have to raze the remaining jungles to grow enough coconuts/corn or whatever the hell they're using nowadays.

[Thunderbuck @ Feb 25th 2008 7:27PM]

You're right. Using food crops in particular is a big problem when one considers bio fuels.

That said, should we just give up entirely? I say this is a worthwhile technology; the Carbon Dioxide released from biofuels is stuff that's been absorbed from the atmosphere, not sequestered as dinosaur bones for millions of years.

Biofuels could go a long way to building agriculture industries in countries that could use it (my fave biofuel: ethanol made from Caribbean-grown sugar cane).

And as for Branson... Is he showy? Sure. Does his ego rival Mount Everest in size and mass? Absolutely. But that shouldn't take away from the little fact that the guy is actually DOING SOMETHING instead of just wringing his hands. He's putting his money where his mouth is. Are you?

[ScooterDe @ Feb 26th 2008 5:35AM]

Biofuels are a blunt (and highly subsidized) political experiment aimed at reducing reliance on oil producers in developing countries. They are having a severe impact on food prices already and the World Food Programme is having to ration emergency food aid. Millions of people are facing hunger because the US and Europe are dabbling in biofuels. Branson should be shamed for this stunt.
Biofuels might have a (limited) future in some applications but they do not address the issues of inefficient transport, over-consumption and excessive energy use in the West.

[jmiday @ Feb 25th 2008 6:11PM]

Not viable indeed.

London --> Amsterdam = 230 miles

150,000 cocunuts required for 20% of 1/4 the engines.
100 coconuts per tree/year @ 90 trees/acre = 9000 coconuts per year/acre
so... 16.66 acres of trees over 1 year produced enough coconuuts to power 1/5 of 1/4 of a 230 mile trip? Thats green.

[phanbouy @ Feb 25th 2008 6:16PM]

just use more pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, fertilizers, tractors, trucks, and water. everything will be cricket

[Sukhminder @ Feb 26th 2008 2:29AM]

"Mommy, can I have dinner now?"

"No, Richard Branson had to do a publicity stunt and took all of our food"

[Juaquin @ Feb 25th 2008 6:13PM]

At least he admits that it's not a sustainable idea. He's got the right mind-frame, unlike those idiots that think using food (corn) to make biofuel is a good idea - it's not. It's totally inefficient and a giant waste of a more precious resource (food). When thinking about "green" energies, you really have to consider the energy and waste going into MAKING the fuel, not just the energy and waste that fuel creates when used.

[jmiday @ Feb 25th 2008 6:13PM]

coconut data:

http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/book/chap5/coconut.html

[KC @ Feb 25th 2008 6:17PM]

150,000 coconuts for 1 of 4 engines.

That's 600,000 coconuts if you wanted to power all 4 engines, with a 20/80 mix.

It's even more crazy if you needed 1,200,000 coconuts to power 4 engines with a 40/60 mix. How much land and time do you need to be able to produce 1,200,000 coconuts?

This only shows how inefficient jet engines are. Here we are trying to save a couple of gallons of gas in our cars, but airplanes (both commercial and military) need to step up and make it a more efficient way to travel.

[jmiday @ Feb 25th 2008 6:23PM]

--It's even more crazy if you needed 1,200,000 coconuts to power 4 engines with a 40/60 mix. How much land and time do you need to be able to produce 1,200,000 coconuts?

133.33 acres for 1 year(see above coconut data)
coconut math FTW!

[KC @ Feb 25th 2008 6:47PM]

@jmiday, thanks! We posted at the same time. It's great that you did the calculations, and that's just a ridiculous amount of coconuts just to fly 230 km (or about 144 miles).