New BBJs to be fitted with split scimitar winglets while retrofits gain STC

BBJ president David Longridge said the Aviation Partners’ innovation will deliver up to 2% of improvements showing as either an additional 222km (120nm) of range or an extra 453.5kg (1,000 lbs) of payload.
“As an engineer I was look for function before form, but I tell you these split scimitar winglets look pretty cool too,” Longridge said.
A BBJ fitted with the new winglets is on the EBACE static park. “I think seeing it in the flesh makes a large difference,” Longridge (above) said.
Aviation Partners will also be offering retrofits for owners who want to take advantage of the new winglets.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval for the retrofit with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval expected to follow shortly.
The winglet approval followed extensive certification flight testing on a green BBJ which was modified at PATS Aircraft Systems in Georgetown, Delaware. As the SSW becomes standard on the new BBJs, the winglet will be fitted at the PATS facility at the same time as the additional fuel tank modifications.
Aviation Partners president, Joe Clark, said that the SSW “completely redefines the aerodynamics of the existing blended winglet.”
The retrofit to the existing Blended Winglet consists of adding a new Scimitar-tipped large Ventral Strake, beef up of internal winglet structure, and replacement of the aluminum winglet tip caps with new aerodynamically shaped Scimitar tip caps. This builds on the existing blended winglet design to provide a dramatic performance improvement without increasing the existing wing span.”
Split scimitar winglets are now approved for the Boeing 737-700, -800 and -900 series which translates to the BBJ, BBJ2 and BBJ3.
“The winglet does throw up some challenges to the livery designers,” Longridge said. “But we have seen some interesting designs on the airline applications and I am looking forward to seeing how BBJ operators apply themselves.”

Clark said that the winglets had already attracted attention from customers in Saudi Arabia. "The additional payload is a great advantage as it means you can carry extra people for those popular routes between the Middle East and Europe. We think there will be a lot of interest."