Parker Aerospace’s Aircraft Wheel & Brake Division will provide the main wheels, main brakes, and nosewheel on Textron Aviation’s Cessna Denali single-engine turboprop, the supplier announced at the Paris Air Show. Textron announced last month it had begun production on the model’s first test articles. Flight testing is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of next year, followed by certification in 2019.

Separately, Parker (Hall 5 Stand C210) revealed two new weight-saving and emissions-reducing features for engine components. In what it said is an industry first, Parker is making lubrication reservoirs from composite materials, cutting the part’s weight by as much as 40 percent.

In addition, building on a process developed by parent company Parker Hannifin's Racor Division, Parker Aerospace is now using demisting technology to separate oil droplets from air vented out of the lubrication system. The separated oil is then returned to the lubrication system, keeping it out of the atmosphere.

Addressing the benefits of the new practices, Rick Mossey, business development manager for Parker’s Gas Turbine Fuel Systems Division, said, "When an airplane has less mass to move, it burns less fuel and creates fewer emissions. That’s where the use of lighter materials comes in and why we are using composites in applications like our oil reservoirs. To meet other challenges, we often look first to Parker’s existing technology solutions, applying them to solve new customer problems. That was our approach in utilizing Parker’s proven demisting technology to reduce the release of oil vapor emissions.”