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Cessna 208 Caravan and 208B Grand Caravan

Jerry Siebenmark

Whind LLC has developed wheel pants for Cessna Caravan-series aircraft that the Wichita-based company said will improve the performance of the 208 and 208B turboprop singles. Depending on initial configuration, the wheel pants reduced drag and showed a seven-knot true airspeed improvement in cruise during flight testing, according to the company.

 


Further, Whind said the addition of the wheel pants has shown an emission reduction “approaching 4 percent.” Developed through 3D printing and advanced CNC machining and fabrication, the wheel pants are designed for easy access with interchangeable, standardized parts. No jacking is required during installation.

 


The wheel pants are also durable. “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. Whind's staff includes former Cessna employees with technical, marketing, and operational expertise with a focus on improving products from Textron Aviation.

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In this article

Cessna 208 Caravan and 208B Grand Caravan

Textron Aviation

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