King Installs First Winglets on Citation X
December 8, 2022
King Aerospace recently completed, for the first time, installation of performance-enhancing elliptical winglets on a Cessna Citation X at its modification, maintenance and paint facility in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
King Aerospace is now an approved installer for the modification built by Winglet Technology, a Wichita, Kansas, company that has designed winglets for Citation aircraft since 2002.
“From our work on Boeing and other aircraft, our structures team is accustomed to handling these kinds of modifications, so working with Winglet Technology was a natural,” says Randy Johnson, director of corporate aircraft services.
An Option for Many Citations
In addition to winglets for the Citation X – also called the Model 750 – Winglet Technology offers sets for the Citation X+ and Citation Sovereign. The company’s winglets have been available through Citation service centers and approved installers like King Aerospace and were standard equipment on the Citation X+, which ended production in 2018. In total, Cessna produced nearly 800 Citation X, X+ and Sovereign aircraft, providing many additional opportunities for winglet installations.
The wing-tip modifications reduce drag and boost performance, including extending range, increasing payloads, raising high-altitude speeds and improving hot/high altitude takeoff. Economic benefits include lower fuel consumption at high-speed cruise and enhanced resale value for the aircraft.
Doubling Up on Work
For aircraft owners and operators, combining a winglet installation with other planned work is a great way to reduce downtime while improving the performance and value of their aircraft. With this inaugural winglet installation, the owner of the 1998 Citation X is also having their aircraft painted.
“We provide a wide range of services for corporate aircraft and are always grateful to get the chance to expand what we offer customers,” says Jarid King, president of King Aerospace. “Once customers experience our maintenance and paint services, they often come to rely on us for modifications like winglets. It all reflects our commitment to quality in everything, without excuses.”