Tamarack Flight Competition Showcases Winglet Advantages

A recent, independently-verified competition sponsored by Tamarack Aerospace demonstrated the effectiveness of the company’s Active Winglet system toward improved efficiency and reduced total trip time.

 

On Tuesday, January 26, two CJ1s departed Portland, ME (PWN) bound for West Palm Beach, FL (PBI). The aircraft, N741CC and N44VS, were essentially identical, but for the Tamarack winglets installed on the latter. (Tamarack noted N44VS also carried a deliberate 200 lb. weight penalty.)

After departing Portland, N44VS flew to PBI non-stop and burned 155 gallons less fuel than the flat-wing aircraft despite a stiff headwind. The unmodified CJ1 had to refuel at Columbia Metro Airport (CAE) in South Carolina due to weather-related performance restrictions.

Tamarack CEO Nick Guida noted N44VS benefitted from “about a 30% more efficient flight profile in terms of fuel consumption” thanks to the winglet-enabled performance gains. In total, N741CC traveled 1,496 miles after being forced inland by weather conditions, spent 5 hours and 37 minutes in the air (plus 45 minutes on the ground for the fuel stop) and used 3,650 pounds of fuel. N44VS was able to fly a more direct, 1,386-mile route, spending 4 hours and 36 minutes in the air and using a total of 2,610 pounds of fuel.

N44VS was flown by CJP member Wick Zimmerman, CEO and co-founder of Outside the Lines. The unmodified aircraft was flown by Mike Laver, owner of Carolina Turbine Support. “I am very pleased with how the Active Winglets performed in [the] fly-off,” said Zimmerman, while Laver called the winglet system “impressive technology that continue to prove they help with fuel efficiency.”

Staffers with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) were onboard both aircraft to document the event, which was also tracked in real-time online. The fly-off was also documented according to National Aeronautic Association (NAA) rules, and the company said it will be considered for a record flight time between the city pairs.

Tamarack’s Active Winglets have been installed in more than 100 CJs.