The successful cooperation between FACC AG and Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), located in Seattle, USA, is going to continue: Last week a contract extension was signed in Seattle that deals with the delivery of Blended WingletsTM for the Boeing 737 Next Generation as well as for the Boeing 757. The framework contract is for a volume of over $300 million and stipulates delivery for the entire lifetime of the product – prospectively until into 2019.

FACC and APB started working together in 2002 after signing a production contract and this cooperation has developed positively over the past years. So far FACC has equipped 2,820 Boeing airplanes with winglets, and deliveries of a similar volume are planned for the next ten years. "We have had a lot of experience in the production of Blended WingletsTM and have been able to add a number of innovations to the winglet design, resulting in substantial weight reduction and cost-cutting," says Martin Bögl, Director Aerostructures Programs.

"The fact that our long-term partner APB has decided to continue our cooperation proves our delivery reliability and the quality of our services."

Aviation Partners Boeing is a joint venture between Aviation Partners, the inventor of the Blended WingletTM technology, and the airplane manufacturer Boeing and is responsible for marketing the aerodynamic wing tips. "Aviation Partners Boeing is delighted to extend its long-standing relationship with FACC to now include the full life of both our 737-NG and 757 Blended Winglet Programs. We have had a very successful eight-year partnership and we look forward to its continuation for many years to come," says Dean Poor, Vice President of Operations, APB.

FACC develops and manufactures fuel saving winglets

FACC is a system supplier of Blended Winglets™ to Aviation Partners Boeing and Boeing Seattle for the aircraft models Boeing BBJ, Boeing 737-700/-800, Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 737-900ER and manufactures all production and retrofit Blended WingletsTM for these aircraft models. As a subcontractor of Aviation Partners, FACC also manufactured and developed the winglet prototypes for the Airbus A320.

The responsibility for the production of the various winglet systems has allowed FACC to develop into a strong-performance competency center for winglets. The production line was planned to fulfill the requirements of high automatisation and the resulting shorter production time, as well as the use of the smallest production area. Due to these measures and the constant improvement of the product by our product technicians, an efficient product is assured.

Blended WingletsTM: Better Aerodynamics - Higher Efficiency

The 2.4 m long and at the base 1.2 m wide winglets revolutionized aerodynamic performance and save fuel, but also take a giant step towards eco-friendliness. The main advantages of Aviation Partners Boeing's Blended Winglet™ technology are lower fuel consumption, increased range and more dash speed. The improved aerodynamics at the end of the wings is what guarantees the airlines higher efficiency when operating their fleets. Blended Winglets, shaped in the form of a bird's wing, lengthen the wing in a curved radius, reduce air vortex and drag at the wing's tip, resulting in much better performance and lower operating costs. Conventional winglets, which angle up from the wing at more-or-less straight obtuse angles, diminish drag. But with their curved transition between wing and winglet and precisely designed airfoil, the Blended Winglets™ do it up to 60-percent better.