Luxair is STG Aerospace's first visiWing customer
Developed in response to airline demand to increase the visibility of the APB (Aviation Partners Boeing) B737NG Split Scimitar Winglet, visiWing sees STG Aerospace advancing its safTsign product range outside the aircraft cabin for the first time.
Whilst reducing drag to save fuel, the lower strake of the APB winglet also reduces ground clearance. It was in order to minimise the risk of ground vehicles colliding with the winglet – and avoid the high cost of damage inspection or replacement – that STG Aerospace developed its visiWing solution. Using materials already approved by Boeing, visiWing is also supported by APB through an official NTO (No Technical Objection) and incorporates STG Aerospace market-leading photoluminescent and reflective technologies to ensure maximum visibility in daylight, in the dark when the aircraft is parked and when lit by vehicle headlights.
Luxair originally approached STG Aerospace expressing concerns about the risk of ground vehicles colliding with the ventral strake. STG Aerospace and Luxair agreed that the solution would have to be easy to install and handle, excluding any paint-based solutions. The resulting product was thoroughly tested to ensure it could withstand the harsh environment of the wing tip.
Laurent Thomas, Deputy Head of Engineering & Planning of Luxair, explained: “We knew we needed an innovative solution to address the collision risk and we turned to STG Aerospace because of their world leading expertise in the area of photoluminescent lighting and their reputation for working closely with customers to solve problems. It proved to be a very successful collaboration and we’re delighted with the outcome – visiWing.”
Marcus Williams, STG Aerospace Director of Sales & Marketing commented: “Under the current contract, three Luxair 737-800 aircraft will be fitted with visiWing by end of May 2015. This new partnership with Luxair exemplifies how STG Aerospace works collaboratively with its customers to identify issues, then develop and deploy the best possible solutions.”
STG Aerospace products are installed in over 9,000 aircraft globally – over one third of the world’s passenger fleet.
