•Physical properties of fuel influence the spray flame structure.•Rapeseed biodiesel (RME) and Jet-A1 spray flames show similar flow field.•RME spray flame shows larger droplet size and higher volume flux compared to Jet-A1.•The flame reaction zone for RME spray flame is more intense locally. The spray combustion characteristics of rapeseed methyl esters (RME) were compared to Jet-A1 fuel using a gas turbine type combustor. The swirling spray flames for both fuels were established at a constant power output of 6kW. The main swirling air flow was preheated to 350°C prior to coaxially enveloping the airblast-atomized liquid fuel spray at atmospheric pressure. Investigation of the fundamental spray combustion was performed via measurements of the fuel droplet sizes and velocities, gas phase flow fields and flame reaction zones. The spray flame droplets and flow fields in the combustors were characterised using phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) and particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) respectively. Flame chemiluminescence imaging was employed to identify the flame reaction zones. The highest droplet concentration zone extends along a 30° angle from the symmetry axis, inside the flame zone. Only small droplets(<17μ) (<17μm)are found around the centreline region, while larger droplets are found at the edge of the spray outside the flame reaction zone. RME exhibits spray characteristics similar to Jet-A1 but with droplet concentration and volume fluxes four times higher, consistent with the expected longer droplet evaporation timescale. The flow field characteristics for both RME and Jet-A1 spray flames are very similar despite the significantly different visible characteristics of the flame reaction zones.