Airbus delivered the first A319 corporate jet (ACJ) equipped with sharklets to an undisclosed, private customer on the eve of the NBAA convention.
The sharklet ACJ319 now matches the range of the Boeing 737-700-derived Boeing Business Jet, which is listed at 6,200nm (11,500km), Airbus says.
Airbus launched the sharklet program in 2009, delivering the first example of an A320 to AirAsia.
All A320 family ACJs will be provisioned for sharklets, but not as a standard item. Corporate jet customers will need to order it from a list of optional equipment.
The sharklet improves the fuel efficiency and the range of the aircraft, Airbus says.
Airbus
By obstructing high-pressure air under the wing from mixing with low-pressure air at the wingtip, the sharklet diminishes vortices that create drag. The effect makes the wing more efficient aerodynamically, allowing the aircraft to fly farther on the same load of fuel.
The sharklets on the ACJ319 improve range by about 200nm, Airbus says. Airbus is displaying a non-sharklet-equipped ACJ319 at NBAA. The aircraft, owned and operated by Comlux (booth 5927), features a unique cabin with two backrooms that can be configured as offices or bedrooms.
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Source: Flight Daily News
