Pilot breaks records using SwiftFuel

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - In September 2010, pilot Richard "Smokey" Young made history as he traveled 100 kilometers at 242.7 miles per hour in a piston engine aircraft at a closed course in Thermal, California. Not only did he shatter the record by nearly 10 miles per hour, he did so using a sustainable general aviation fuel called SwiftFuel, developed by Swift Enterprises Ltd., based at the Purdue Research Park.

"Everybody has sort of a sour taste in their mouth from biofuels that they don't perform as well, that you get less gas mileage. ut what we proved with Smokey's record is that it could outperform the current gasoline," Vice President of Renewable Fuels Jon Ziulkowski said.

Ziulkowski said the possibilities are endless for SwiftFuel because it can be used as an exact replacement for 100 low-lead gasoline. This means no changes need to be made to any aircraft engines.

"As soon as the EPA and the FAA have an option to replace the low lead with a certified fuel like Swift will be, it's a shoo-in to take over the market," he said.

Ziulkowski said SwiftFuel is not only more environmentally-friendly, but an aircraft can go 15 percent farther than it could using leaded gasoline.