CARAVAN WHEEL SPATS

CESSNA CARAVANS have huge drag inducing fixed undercarriage. Yet many are used only on tar runways – or well prepared gravel airstrips. It therefore makes sense that a well-designed set of wheel spats (or ‘pants’) will soon pay for themselves in drag reduction.

It’s just surprising that it has taken so long.

A company called Whind has announced that it has developed wheel spats for Caravans that it claims give a seven-knot true airspeed improvement in cruise during flight testing. And that’s not all. Whind said the addition of the spats has shown an emission reduction “approaching 4 percent.”

Developed through 3D printing and advanced CNC machining and fabrication, the spats are designed for easy access with interchangeable, standardized parts. No jacking is required during installation.

The spats are also tough. “You won’t find a ‘No Step’ placard on these wheel pants,” said Whind CEO Randy Whitson.

Full STC approval is under way, and completion and first delivery are expected in the fourth quarter of 2021. Whind's staff includes former Cessna employees with technical, marketing, and operational expertise with a focus on improving products from Textron Aviation. j

Whind wheel spats are claimed to proivide a 7-knot cruise improvement to Caravans.