Winglet Technology Surpasses 30 Installations of Elliptical Winglets on Cessna Citation Xs

May 15, 2011
Cessna Aircraft Company's Wichita Service Center recently completed the 30th installation of Winglet Technology's Elliptical Winglets on a Citation X.

Wichita, KS, (May 13, 2011) — 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. The resulting drag reduction enhances the overall operational performance and translates into a range of performance improvements for the Citation X, including:

Increased speed at higher altitudes

• Up to 12kts at ISA temperatures

• Up to 20kts at ISA +10 temperatures

Improved hot day/high altitude takeoff performance

• Up to 4° C or 1,200 lbs for flaps 5 departures

• Up to 5° C or 1,270 lbs for flaps 15 departures

Increased range capability

• Up to 220 NM for 4 passengers, NBAA IFR reserves, ISA temperature

• Up to 315 NM for pre-172 S/N’s with winglets and 400 lb GW increase

• Up to 550 NM for 4 passengers, NBAA IFR reserves, WAT limited take-off

Reduced time-to-climb

• FL430 reduced from 137 to 37 minutes @ MTOW and ISA +10 temperatures

• FL450 reduced from 84 to 27 minutes @ MTOW and ISA temperatures

• FL470 reduced from 138 to 31 minutes @ 34,000lbs and ISA temperatures

The Elliptical Winglets also provide significant economic benefits for the Citation X.

Reduced fuel consumption

• Up to a 6% reduction for high speed cruise flight profiles

Reduced direct operating costs

• Increased range reduces en-route technical stops

• Up to 2,100 lbs fuel savings per technical stop avoided

Enhanced aircraft resale value

• 100% of Blue Book value of installed Elliptical Winglet STC

The top of Cessna’s line of light and mid-size business jets, the Citation X is the world’s fastest certified business jet with a top speed of .92 Mach, just under the speed of sound.

Winglet Technology, LLC was founded in 2001 and received a U.S Patent for its unique Elliptical Winglet design in 2002 and Canadian Patent in 2010. The firm is located at 8200 East 34th Street North, Suite 1410 in Wichita, Kansas, 67226. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.winglettechnology.com, or call +1 316 524 9300.