Source: Aviation Week

After several years of flight testing, Airbus has launched a winglet upgrade to its A320 family it promises will provide a 3.5% fuel-burn improvement over the existing wingfence design.

The winglets, which Airbus has termed "sharklets," were designed by Airbus, although the manufacturer looked at other configurations. Airbus will need to add about 200 kg. in weight to stiffen the wingbox to handle higher loads, but found enough weight savings to keep the change weight-neutral, says Airbus chief operational officer for customers, John Leahy.

Air New Zealand is the launch customer for the product, and says it was the upgrade that helped the A320 win its recent competition against the Boeing 737.

Boeing had long offered winglets, but Airbus says its design is more modern and therefore yields better fuel savings.

The 2.4 meter high aerodynamic devices also should yield engine maintenance cost savings, because aircraft can take off at lower power settings. Airbus says that the devices can yield 110 naut. mi. greater range or 500 kg. greater payload at the same range. An A320 could also climb to 39,000 ft. 400 naut. mi. earlier.

Airbus is still working on a retrofit option for the A320 for winglets, but it will not be the sharklets, Leahy said. The aircraft maker is looking at its own design, but also talking to Aviation Partners, which may also be involved in building the sharklets.

The A320 will be the first to get the devices, with an in-service date of late 2012 planned. The A321 would follow six months later and the A319 six months after that.

Customers will have the option not to take the upgrade, which costs $900,000, but will then be stuck with the 200 kg in weight penalty associated with the wing-box stiffening. Current orders can be converted.

The wing devices would not expand the space A320s need at an airport.