Aviation Partners Obtains Hawker 800SP Blended Winglet STC

Whether you believe the hype — increased efficiency, higher cruising altitudes and crisper handing — winglets are all the rage with most modern bizjet manufacturers. Of course, the true effect of such a modification depends on the airframe and the winglet, but one company that has made its mark in the add-on winglet market — Aviation Partners Inc. — now is able to sell a new winglet package to operators of one of the most popular mid-size bizjets out there: the Hawker 800. According to Aviation Partners, Hawker 800 operators can now look forward to 7% additional range, faster climb to altitude, higher initial cruise levels and significantly improved performance from high and hot airfields with the company’s newly obtained Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), which was announced this week. After adding the winglets, a Hawker 800SP will fly 30 minutes longer, 180 nm farther, 18 knots faster and with a 2000-foot higher initial cruise altitude compared to a standard Hawker 800, according to Aviation Partners, which has installed its technology on some 70% of the Gulfstream II fleet; it is also seen on the Boeing Business Jet, Boeing 737-700/800 NG series and the Boeing 737-300 Classic. “Blended Winglets transform the standard 2510-nm Hawker 800 to a 2690-nm-capable Hawker 800SP,” said Sales Director Gary Dunn. Aviation Partners’ market isn’t anything to sneeze at, either: There are currently over 600 Hawker 800 series aircraft in service worldwide. The STC’d mod for the Hawker 800 will set you back $395,000, including installation.