Whind LLC of Wichita, Kansas, has introduced wheel pants for the Cessna Caravan series, a simple, efficient performance enhancement.

Flight testing has shown a cruise speed improvement of up to seven knots, depending on initial configuration. Full STC approval is underway, with completion and first delivery expected soon.

Like the Caravan itself, the wheel pants are durable and low-maintenance, the company says in a press release. Said Randy Whitson, CEO of Whind LLC, “you won’t find a ‘no step’ placard on these wheel pants.”

Made for easy maintenance, the modular design creates easy access and interchangeable, standardized parts. The wheel pant also functions like the popular mud flaps on 208s, without the added drag. The fairings are easy to install, with no jacking required.

Computational Fluid Dynamics optimization, 3D printing, and advanced CNC machining and fabrication create an ideal shape for drag reduction. Many companies are targeting zero net carbon emissions by 2040. Similar to winglets, wheel pants are an obvious and attractive commitment to efficiency.

States the press release, “The question has been asked as long as the Caravan has been around, ‘Why don’t they put wheel pants on Caravans?’ Now there is a practical solution to the installation of fairings providing an improvement in speed, appearance, lower operating costs and emission reduction approaching 4%.”

Whind LLC is composed of former Cessna employees with extensive technical, marketing, and operational backgrounds. Visit whindllc.com or send an email to info@whindllc.com for more information.