API Winglets To Get EASA Nod On Falcon 50

Aviation Partners, Inc. (API, Booth 283) is anticipating EASA certification of its winglets for retrofit to Dassault Falcon 50 jets in the coming weeks. The expected approval will be the European counterpart of the FAA supplemental type certificate received in September 2012. The aerodynamic devices are the same “high-Mach blended winglets” currently available on the Falcon 2000 and 900 series (all three Falcon series share the same wing) and are promised to provide drag reduction and corresponding range increase of “5 to 7 percent at typical intermediate to long range cruise speeds.”

On the Falcon 900, API recently received FAA and EASA approval for steep approach operations on the aircraft equipped with blended winglets—an earlier restriction was removed after flight tests last year.

API’s winglets are now flying on more than 230 Falcon 2000, 900 and 50 series aircraft, and these were installed either as retrofits or factory new. In Europe, retrofits can be accomplished at Dassault Falcon Service’s maintenance facility at Paris Le Bourget or TAG Aviation in Geneva.