Tue, May 17, 2011
Elliptical Winglets Improve Performance On Legacy BizJet,
Company Says
Cessna Aircraft Company's Wichita Service Center recently
completed the 30th installation of Winglet Technology's Elliptical
Winglets on a Citation X. Winglet Technology was originally granted
a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the retrofit program by
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in July of 2009. Since
then, the program has grown to include Citation Xs from Europe,
Saudi Arabia, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. The STC Installations are
available at Cessna-owned service centers around the world. Others
have also recently been completed at Cessna's Orlando and San
Antonio facilities.
"Performance benefits for legacy Citation Xs that take advantage
of this STC can be quite substantial," said Bob Kiser, president of
Winglet Technology. "For pre-172 serial number (S/N) Citation X
aircraft that incorporate the Elliptical Winglet STC and the Cessna
400 lb gross weight increase Service Bulletin, at high speed
cruise, the modifications and gross weight increase provide a 315
NM range increase and 265 lb payload increase over a non-winglet
pre-172 S/N Citation X. Citation X operators are also finding that
the benefits of Elliptical Winglets extend beyond performance and
operational benefits. Both the lateral and directional stability of
the Citation X has been improved at low speed and high altitude
conditions, as well," he added.
At the 2010 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Annual
Meeting & Convention, Cessna Aircraft Company announced the
selection of Winglet Technology's Elliptical Winglet design for the
updated production version of its flagship business jet, the
Citation Ten. The Citation Ten is a larger, more advanced version
of the world's fastest certified business jet.
Winglet Technology's Elliptical Winglet shape provides superior
aerodynamic performance across a broad range of Mach number and
operating conditions. The elliptical shape ensures the lift
distribution of the wing closely matches optimum lift distribution
along the span of the wing, which minimizes the induced drag of the
aircraft.
More News
Also: B-29 Superfortress Reunion, FAA Wants Controllers, Spirit Airlines Pulls Back, Gogo Galileo Van's Aircraft posted a short video recapping the goings-on around their reorganiz>[...]
Light Gun A handheld directional light signaling device which emits a brilliant narrow beam of white, green, or red light as selected by the tower controller. The color and type of>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]
Aircraft Conflict Predicted conflict, within EDST of two aircraft, or between aircraft and airspace. A Red alert is used for conflicts when the predicted minimum separation is 5 na>[...]