Winglets in the Air for the King Air

Boundary Layer Research, the Everett, Wash. company that developed winglets for the Beech Duke 10 years ago, is now designing winglets for King Air 200s and 300s. A prototype has been flying since late last summer and an announcement to King Air operators in December garnered an “overwhelming” response, claimed company president Bob Desroche. He said winglets will improve speed, handling and fuel economy. The winglet project is headed by Mike Carpenter, who joined the company last month after serving as president and COO of Raisbeck Engineering. An STC is expected by the NBAA Convention this coming October. Pricing and installation downtime have not yet been determined.