European military transport and multirole aircraft producer Airbus Military has announced that it is developing a new version of its highly successful C295 aircraft, the C295W. This version is fitted with winglets (hence, the ‘W’ suffix) and has engine enhancements, developed in cooperation with engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

The winglets add 90 kg in weight to the aircraft – 30 kg for each winglet and 30 kg for wing strengthening. The new version requires the strengthening of certain wing spars and thicker upper panels for the central and outer wings.

Otherwise, there are no changes to the airframe. The winglets improve the aircraft’s lift/drag ratio, which means that the aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft is increased. One of the consequences of this is a reduction in fuel consumption – in the case of the C295W, compared with the standard C295, by an average of 4%.

The aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW127 turboprops and the US engine maker has increased the rating of these powerplants and provided new engine settings. This programme was started in 2011 and the modifications have been approved and certified, as has the new flight manual.

As a result of these modifications, the aircraft gains significantly improved performance in taking off and landing at hot and high airfields, or greater range and endurance if operating from lower, cooler bases. Thus, taking off from an airfield lying at an altitude of 6 000 ft (about 1 800 m) and flying to a destination 500 nautical miles (some 900 km) away, a C295W will be able to carry a full ton more payload than a standard C295 operating the same profile. The C295W can also fly higher than a C295 at the same weights. Yet the type rating remains the same so that the pilots do not need extra training to fly it.

“It’s not a new aircraft, but the levels of improvement with the new engine settings and winglets are something we are really proud of,” affirmed company VP: market development Gustavo Garcia Miranda. “In a nutshell, we are improving the aircraft in take-off and climb and cruise. In the end, the performance of the aircraft is improved in every aspect of flight.”

The flight trials of the prototype C295W concluded last month. The next steps in the programme are the detailed design of the production version, certification, indus- trialisation and introduction into service. Marketing of the new version has started and certification flights should be completed by early next year, with certification itself achieved during the second quarter. The C295W will become the standard production version of the aircraft from the fourth quarter of next year.

The new model will have the same build time as the current version. For repeat orders from existing operators, customers will be able to specify whether they want the winglets fitted or, if their priority is to keep a fleet with common capabilities, omitted.

The C295W modifications can also be applied to the airborne early warning (AEW) and other surveillance versions of the aircraft. For example, a C295W AEW aircraft would have nearly an hour’s extra endurance and be able to fly 2 000 ft (about 600 m) higher (and thus give greater range to its radar) than a standard C295 AEW machine.

“Our target customers are hot and high countries that require longer range or endurance,” he reports. More generally, the company is looking to emerging countries for its future market growth. This also applies to the C295 family. Last year, the company won orders for 28 C295s (including four maritime patrol versions) from six countries – Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Oman and Poland. In Africa, standard C295s are currently operated by Algeria, Egypt and Ghana.