Going Airborne With A Hemp Airplane
Anyone paying attention knows that hemp has proven an incredibly versatile plant. New uses for hemp plant material seem to be added to the already long list almost daily. However, recently news broke of a development out of Canada that we just had to help celebrate. Canadian based HempEarth Group is currently developing an airplane made almost entirely of hemp composite material. Oh, and it’s also powered by hemp bio-fuel.
Photo Credit: HempEarth
The two-engine jet boasts a wingspan of 36 feet and has a carrying capacity of five people, including the pilot. The hemp material used in the plane’s construction is said to be 10x stronger than steel. It’s also significantly lighter in weight than common construction materials such as fiberglass and aluminum. If you’re interpreting that as an increase in fuel efficiency and a decrease in fuel costs, you’re exactly right. Add to that the sustainable nature of hemp over these same materials and it makes a pretty strong case (pun intended) for this type of use. Surprisingly, hemp is considerably more flexible as well, which will increase performance in the air.
For more information about the plane, visit HempEarth’s website here.
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