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.

FMI: www.winglet-technology.com