API Claims Significant Fuel Savings For Business, Commercial Aircraft

As of 1456 PST on Sunday, January 15, 2012, the patented Blended Winglet Technology developed by Aviation Partners Inc. has saved the worlds' commercial and business aircraft operators an estimated three billion gallons of jet fuel, according to a company news release. This represents a global reduction in CO2 emissions of more than 32.2 million tons. Aviation Partners' Winglets are now flying on more than 5,000 individual airplanes, and more than 20 airplane types worldwide.

API's Blended Winglets are an addition to the airplane wing tip that efficiently adds effective wingspan. The Winglets reduce the drag caused by wingtip vortices, the twin tornados formed by the difference between the pressure on the upper surface of an airplane's wing and that on the lower surface. By reducing drag, Blended Winglets, increase fuel efficiency and boost range. The Blended Winglets, which feature a large radius and smooth chord variation in the wing-to-winglet transition area, have demonstrated more than 60% greater effectiveness over conventional winglets with an angular transition.

One of the unique features of API's technology is that it can be installed during production or retrofitted to existing (i.e. in-service) aircraft. API has Blended Winglets certified and in service on the Gulfstream II, Hawker 800 series, Falcon 2000 series and Falcon 900 series aircraft. API's joint venture with The Boeing Company, Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), has Blended Winglets certified and in-service on the Boeing 737-300, -500, -700, -800 & -900, 757-200 & -300 and 767-300ER/F series aircraft. Both companies have additional airframe development programs in-work for Blended Winglets, and API is looking at radical new Winglet technologies for the future.

API expects the amount of fuel saved to grow exponentially to more than seven billion gallons in the next 4-5 years. Joe Clark, CEO of API and Chairman of APB, said, "We are proud to be the world leader in the field of fuel savings for the airlines and private aviation," adding that, "We look forward to adapting our new technology to both existing airplanes and new production designs in the near future."

FMI: www.aviationpartners.com