Las Vegas, USA. October 9, 2011 – Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) announced today that it has started shipping the new Scimitar Tip Blended Winglets for Hawker 800 series aircraft. The patented scimitar tip, first announced at NBAA 2010, is an aerodynamic change to the tip-cap of the existing Blended Winglet. This revolutionary improvement is the result of a lengthy computational fluid dynamics (CFD) design process, and provides an additional half a percent drag reduction over and above the existing 7.3 percent at Long Range Cruise. In addition to the incremental performance improvement, the scimitar tip provides a striking new aesthetic to further separate API’s large Blended Winglets from other smaller Winglets currently available.
“The first customer installation of scimitar tipped Blended Winglets is currently in work on a Hawker 800XP” Said Gary Dunn, API Vice President of Sales, “This aircraft should return to service in late-October and we are scheduled to install several more this year.”
The Hawker 800 series is the first business jet to receive this new patented scimitar tip technology, an example of which is on display at NBAA (booth C8110). API is currently reviewing the feasibility of offering the scimitar tips as an upgrade for existing Hawker 800 series Blended Winglet customers.
“Anytime you can improve the productivity and performance of an existing asset, while making it more eco-friendly, is a wise investment,” Said Joe Clark, API founder and CEO, “We are doing our part in a changing world.”
Blended Winglets can currently be retrofitted to the Hawker 800 and 800XP as an FAA and EASA approved STC. Installation is carried out through API’s network of authorized installers in North America and throughout the world. API Blended Winglets are also certified and available for the Falcon 2000 and 900 families of aircraft, and API anticipates Winglet certification for the Falcon 50 series in Q1 2012. To learn more about Blended Winglets, or to schedule a delivery position, visit API during the NBAA Convention in Las Vegas, October 10-12 (booth C8110).
For further information contact Gary Dunn at media@winglets.com or .
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