Will we see them in the U.S anytime soon? Thanks for any answers!
The A320 series already has winglets… As far as the sharklets go, that is an unknown. ANZ is supposed to be the launch customer for it. I’d expect JBU to be next in line.
BL.
The A320 have wingtip fences.
Airbus A320 (F-WWBA) with Sharklets is being tested at Airbus in Toulouse Blagnac.
the photo was taken in April 2012.
The first Airbus A320-200 with shaklets, with colors of Qatar Airways, was presented. It is registered F-WWBG and bears the serial number 5182.
It joined the fleet of A320 with Sharklets installed. It is responsible, as the other A320 certify the device before the first delivery next year.
F-WWBG took off for the first time in Toulouse Tuesday, July 17 2012 for a flight test.
This is the third unit to be equipped with winglets “Made in Airbus” after F-WWBA (MSN1) and F-WWIQ (MSN5098). This is the A320 which has participated in the last Farnborough. It was originally all white before being partially painted in the colors of Airbus.
Those are the a320neos <— which american airlines has like 20 of them on order… they have went to the other side of the fence
Aviation Partners Boeing has developed a blended winglet for the A320, I believe they are working on the STC at the moment.
Apparently colaboration not go very well.
Airbus would not have played the game with API?
see : flightglobal.com/news/articl … it-367720/
I can’t read the article at the moment (company computer blocked website), but all I can say, is the company I work for is getting a contract to install Aviation Partners blended winglets on A320’s belonging to one of the US air carriers.
The launch customer for the Sharklet is Air New Zealand, which expects to take delivery of A320 aircraft fitted with the new devices starting at the end of 2012.
The airline is also participating in the Boeing 777 environmental programme and will be the first to implement all 10 environmental actions.
Yeah, you’re talking brand new, out of the factory. I’m referring to modification of “in service” aircraft. So, of course Airbus would not install (or most likely even bother with) winglets from API.
There’s no refit option - the existing wing doesn’t have the margin, and reinforcing it kills the numbers.
Boing aircrafts are retrofitted by PDB. If Airbus wanted retrofiter aircraft of the A320 family with sarklets API, I do not know if that would happen in the event of a problem in flight (who would be responsible?)
However, cooperation API / Dassault Falcon has to run the air …