API Blended Winglets Certified for Falcon 50 series
Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) have announced that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Supplemental Type Certificate approval for its High Mach Blended Winglets on the Falcon 50 series aircraft.
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval is expected to follow shortly. Certification of the Winglets represents the culmination of an 18-month development program and exhaustive flight testing, and comes on the heels of similar certifications for the Falcon 2000 series in April 2009 and Falcon 900 series in September 2011.
“Issuance of this STC means our High Mach Blended Winglets are now available for all aircraft in the Falcon 50, 900 and 2000 families,” said Gary Dunn, API Vice President of Sales & Marketing, “The Winglet-equipped Falcon 50 displayed at EBACE in May, and used for certification flight tests, will return to service shortly; and the addition of Winglets to the first customer Falcon 50EX is already underway at one of our authorised installation facilities.”
API’s Winglets for the Falcon 50 Series are “High Mach” Blended Winglets – this revolutionary new design is optimized for cruise speeds of Mach .80 and higher. The Winglets provide a drag reduction, and corresponding range increase, of 5% at Mach .80 and more than 7% at Long Range Cruise (LRC). In addition, retrofit Winglets for the Falcon 50 series (the same API-designed Winglets as those installed by Dassault on the factory 900LX and 2000LX models) will reduce operating costs and carbon emissions, and provide a dramatic visual enhancement.
“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.”
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