Tamarack Aerospace recently announced that the company has completed the flight evaluation phase for the Performance SMARTWING modified King Air 350, and the news from the test is good.
Tamarack was able to confirm many of the benefits of the system. In addition to added safety and sustainability benefits, the early comparative analysis confirmed a 5% improved fuel flow in loiter mission cruise, 10% better climb gradients , and a 500 lb. “High/Hot” weight, altitude, temperature (WAT) improvement that provides almost two hours of added flight time endurance.
Nick Guida, CEO and Founder of Tamarack, said: “The robust flight-testing program for the Tamarack Performance SMARTWING King Air 350 focused on every aspect of safety and performance to ensure all modified aircraft will have been rigorously tested.”
The tech is meant to address the specific demands of the military and surveillance market, as well. One such advantage is the dual load alleviation control surfaces engineered to ensure redundancy in complex, mission-critical scenarios.
The King Air 350 Tamarack Performance SMARTWING joins the King Air 200 airframe which has already been modified and is planned for certification following the King Air 350.
Tamarack Aerospace Sales Director, Eric Cunningham said, “Tamarack is offering substantial savings for early investors in the King Air 350 Performance SMARTWING. Savvy customers see this unique technology as an ROI purchase that pays for itself after a relatively short time. This pre-certification pricing is being offered on a limited basis for interested parties looking to secure early production supplemental type certificate (STC) orders.” Certification for the King Air 350 is anticipated within the next 18 to 24 months.
The Tamarack Performance SMARTWING on the King Air 350 marks the second turboprop airframe modification produced by Tamarack in addition to the nearly 160 Cessna CitationJets currently modified with Tamarack’s Active Winglet technology. The Cessna fleet exhibits up to 33% greater range with this sustainable aftermarket technology, plus various performance benefits also featured on the Performance SMARTWING.
The company website features an excellent breakdown explanation of the SMARTWING tech. Check it out here.