Tamarack Aerospace has begun demonstration and validation tests for its King Air Tamarack Performance SmartWing, a new civilian and military version of the patented sustainability supporting Active Winglet load alleviation technology.

This modification process is being held in partnership with Virginian special mission operator Dynamic Aviation and is under review by US military and defence organisations that are interested in improved mission capabilities such as enhanced hot takeoff performance, extended loiter time, increased payload and support for sustainable flight including noise reduction. The modification is expected to replace current King Air passive winglets, providing substantially more capabilities and significant fuel cost savings.

It marks the second airframe variation modification produced by Tamarack in addition to the nearly 150 Cessna Citation jets currently modified with Tamarack's Active Winglet. It says the Cessna fleet exhibits up to 33% fuel savings with the sustainable aftermarket technology.

It says the Performance SmartWing shows performance benefits of improved endurance and hot takeoff performance, which can aid in the deployment of King Airs, by adding approximately eight feet of wingspan. The increased climb capabilities can allow aircraft to take off during conditions that otherwise would ground aircraft without the modification.

“Implementing new Tamarack sustainable technologies like the Performance SmartWing into different aviation sectors is a positive step toward sustainability efforts,” says Tamarack president Jacob Klinginsmith. “As we move toward our big carbon emission reduction goals, we need to be looking at technologies that are going to make a significant impact and can be applied now while providing impactful operational cost savings.”

Tamarack says its Performance SmartWing is significant for the larger aviation industry, demonstrating the interest of military, commercial and business sectors for the mission benefits and sustainability support provided by Active Winglet and Performance SmartWing carbon footprint reducing technology.