After several years of pursuing approval for its Active Technology Load Alleviation System (ATLAS) winglet technology, Tamarack Aerospace has achieved the sign off from the European Aviation Safety Agency. The Supplemental Type Certificate allows the winglets to be installed on Cessna Citation CE525-series twinjets.
The winglets can now be installed at Textron Aviation’s service centers in Europe. FAA approval is expected in the next few weeks. Tamarack’s Bill Mitchell said that through the bilateral agreement between EASA and the FAA the approval can generally be expected in 60 to 90 days, though he said it may be little longer due to the new technology involved with the ATLAS.
Tamarack has simultaneously also worked on the installation for the Citation M2. EASA approval for this platform is expected in the next few weeks, Mitchell said. While he could not disclose what other platforms the active winglets may be installed in next, expect others to follow.
Tamarack claims significant performance improvements with the winglets. The company completed more than 300 hours of flight testing on its Cessna Citation CJ. Flight tests consistently flew at max takeoff weight to FL410 in less than 30 minutes and saw a fuel burn of 900 lbs per hour for the first flight hour and 600 lbs per hour each hour thereafter – a significant reduction over the fuel burn without the installation.
The active winglets in effect alleviate the load of the additional wing surface in stressed conditions, such as turbulence, through a load alleviation device at the trailing edge of the outboard portion of the wing. As a result, ATLAS allows for the installation of winglets without the additional weight penalty of structural reinforcements.
