SMARTWINGS and Wing Nuts

Tamarack Aerospace—the Sandpoint, Idaho-based aviation-technology concern founded by aerospace engineer and entrepreneur Nick Guida—exhibited a King Air 350 kitted-out with the company’s SMARTWING technology at Tarkio, Missouri’s Wing Nuts Flying Circus fly-in.

Notwithstanding its whimsical appellation the Wing Nuts Flying Circus fly-in draws an august crowd of aviation luminaries, governmental administrators, and high-powered legislators—principal among whom is U.S. Representative Sam Graves (pictured below), ranking member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (T&I)) and host of the Wing Nut hootenanny. The T&I Committee has jurisdiction over such organizations as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and exerts influence over most everything that goes along America’s road, air, and waterways.

Tamarack is currently about the business of securing FAA certification of two King Airs—a 200 and a 350—retrofitted with the company’s innovative and demonstrably effective Performance SMARTWING. The certification of subject aircraft would set the stage for civilian and military King Air operators to acquire the fuel-saving, range-extending, performance-enhancing, payload and loiter-time-increasing modification already flying on nearly 160 Cessna Citation Jets.

Differing from conventional, passive King Air winglets, Tamarack’s Performance SMARTWING technology automatically controls wing bending during turbulence and other inflight events by effectively “turning off the winglets”—thereby alleviating wing-loading. This is accomplished via load-sensors and a camber surface capable of responding to system inputs in fractions of a second. The Active Winglet/load-alleviation system is fully automatic, requires no pilot action, and functions independently of other aircraft systems.

Congressman Graves opined favorably of Tamarack’s technology and the modified King Air’s appearance, stating: “Tamarack is here. It’s a fascinating technology on its King Air and CJ2+ that are here, it’s neat, (the technology) it reduces your wing loading and extends the range, it’s really cool.”

General Aviation Manufacturing Association (GAMA) President Pete Bunce availed himself or a ride in the modified King Air and was particularly impressed with the aircraft’s short-field climb capabilities and smooth ride in turbulence. 

Tamarack founder and CEO Nick Guida expressed satisfaction with the manner in which his modified King Air was received by fly-in attendees. “We have very strong potential customer interest in purchasing King Air modifications, especially from those with military focus,” Mister Guida remarked. “We received some very positive reaction to our technology here at the fly-in from leaders in the aviation associations; that kind of support is essential as we sell to our business aviation customers. Of course, the positive reaction from government leaders at the fly-in was dramatic for our military sales goals as well as future plans to apply our technology to single aisle airframes.”

Guida is no stranger to the intrigues and complexities of Congressional scrutiny—having formerly addressed the legislative body about matters such as sustainability within the aviation industry and emergent aerospace technologies.

FMI: www.tamarackaero.com