Story ID: 
Winglet STC for Hawker 800 delayed
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: Aviation Partners expects to obtain an STC early this month on its blended winglets for the Hawker 800 series.
Word Count: 267
Aviation Partners expects to obtain an STC early this month on its blended winglets for the Hawker 800 series. The project has been in the works for a couple of years. “Manufacturing problems,” failure to obtain certain OEM data and changes in FAA certification methods lengthened the STC process.According to CEO Joe Clark, “We underestimated the magnitude” of the program, “but we recently started getting more assistance from Raytheon Aircraft.” Clark brought a Hawker 800 with conforming wingets for static display at last month’s NBAA Convention in Orlando, Fla.Modified Hawkers, dubbed 800SPs, will fly 30 minutes longer, or 180 nm farther, and 18 knots faster than a standard Hawker 800, according to Aviation Partners. Installed price of the winglets is $350,000. After certification the price will increase to $395,000. At press time, Clark said he had deposits for 15 winglet sets.Meanwhile, Aviation Partners might stop offering Gulfstream II winglets, the Seattle company’s inaugural business aviation winglet program. Over the past 10 years, the company has equipped nearly 70 percent of all GIIs with winglets. Five shipsets were available at press time (for $459,500 installed). Said Clark: “To start up production again we will need orders for at least 10 more shipsets.” The lead time for additional shipsets will be “considerable,” Clark said, “and we might be closing production of the GII winglet program next year.”As Aviation Partners gears up for production of winglets for the Hawker 800 and winds down installation of GII winglets, does the Citation appear to be the next program in the company’s sight? Clark revealed the company continues to explore the possibility of developing winglets for the “straight wing” Citations.