Fairchild Dornier to use Super Shark winglet for Envoy 7

Fairchild Dornier has selected its own unique winglet design for the new Envoy 7 business jet and for special mission versions of the 728JET being marketed for government programmes.

With the addition of the winglet and the increase in maximum gross takeoff weight to 39,500 kilograms (87,000 pounds), the Envoy 7 has a range of 4,000 nautical miles with a standard interior and eight passengers.

Dean Rush, president of the company's Corporate Aircraft Division, speaking at the Paris Air Show, said the selection was made following extensive wind tunnel tests of five winglet designs from various sources.

"The Fairchild Dornier Super Shark winglet design gives us increased aerodynamic performance with a minimal addition of weight to the aircraft due to its size and efficiency," Rush said. "Our wind tunnel tests also point to other performance enhancements such as decreased time to climb numbers."

The Super Shark is a combination of a blended winglet and raked wingtip. Predictions show the winglet will reduce overall aircraft cruise drag by 3.5 percent and decrease fuel burn by more than 5 percent on a 4000 nautical mile mission. Because of its excellent weight and performance characteristics, Fairchild Dornier intends to look at adding the winglet design to the 728JET extended range version and the 928JET.

The Envoy 7 is based on the 728JET airliner. The first 728JETs are now in assembly in Germany and deliveries are scheduled for 2003, with the first Envoy 7 scheduled for delivery in 2004

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