Orders Fill Bulk Of Company's 2008/2009 Production Schedule

As oil prices keep climbing, business is booming for suppliers of fuel-saving winglets. BLR Aerospace announced Wednesday two record-breaking sales of their King Air Winglet Systems. Elliott Aviation and Cutter Aviation placed 90 shipset orders apiece -- effectively BLR's entire 2008/2009 US production capacity of King Air winglets.

"The BLR Winglet system greatly enhances the capabilities and performance of King Airs, and when combined with our RVSM offering, enables these aircraft to climb faster, fly higher, and safer," said Wynn Elliott, chairman and chief executive officer, Elliott Aviation.  "King Air owners will be able to recoup their Winglet investment in a surprisingly short period of time."

"We are happy to offer BLR Winglets to our customers," said Will Cutter, president of Cutter Aviation.  "Winglet demand is growing and will continue to grow as more and more operators benefit from improved performance and increased ROI."

BLR produces performance-enhancing Winglet Systems for King Air 90s, Super King Air 200s and King Air 300s. The company has delivered more than 100 shipsets, and is now expanding sales and distribution to Europe -- where installation of EASA-approved Winglets is already under way.

"The success of this technology is gratifying for BLR and it’s positive for the King Air operating community," said Dave Marone, BLR director of Sales and Marketing. "We are happy to be working with highly respected organizations such as Elliott and Cutter, who we recently recognized as our top two dealers for these systems."

Cutter and Elliott are two of the longest family-owned business aviation companies in the industry, each with over 70 years of experience.

In addition to delivering a 100 percent return on investment (detailed in 2008 Aircraft Blue Book), winglets provide a range of performance benefits, including increased cruise speed (3-5 knots) or reduced fuel consumption (3-4 percent less burn), and increased vertical rate of climb (300-400 fpm). Additional benefits include reduced drag, improved handling qualities, and easy access right up to the aircraft’s service ceiling at flight level 350.

In September, BLR announced an agreement with Hawker Beechcraft Services (HBS), Hawker Beechcraft Corporation’s network of factory service centers, to sell and install Winglet Systems.

FMI: www.blrvgs.com/