Winglet technology: a new era in aircraft design

Gepubliceerd op 26 oktober 2023 om 20:25
Airplane winglets

For the average person, an airplane may seem like a giant metal cylinder with wings attached. However, there is more to the streamlined shape of modern aircraft than you might think.

A secret weapon for efficient flying is the "Winglet", a small but crucial component of an aircraft that brings significant benefits for both airlines and environment.

Wingwhat? Winglet!

Winglets or Sharklets, are small, upward-pointing flaps attached to the tips of an aircraft's wings. As the name "Sharklets" suggests, they resemble fins of a shark. Even though they may not seem to serve a significant purpose at first glance, they play an essential role.

The magic of Winglets

When an aircraft is in flight, the air rushing past the wings creates a small vortex at the wingtips. These tornadoes, or vortexes, create drag, which reduces efficiency and increases fuel consumption. To minimize this drag, Winglets were designed.

These structures at the wingtips reduce the tornado's size. Winglets help reduce these vortexes by streamlining air circulation. Another advantage of these Winglets is that they increase the effective wingspan without actually extending the wing's length. This further enhances the wing's efficiency and reduces air resistance.

winglets vortex

Left: a big vortex, because there is no Winglet. Right: a small vortex thanks to a Winglet.

Aircraft designers continually aim for better performances. That's why there are so many different variations of Winglets. Depending on the specific needs and limitations of each aircraft model, Winglets can vary in shape, size and angle.

Some types include:

  • Blended Winglet
Blended Winglet
  • Split Scimitar Winglet
Split-Tip Winglet
  • Wingtip Fence
Wingtip Fence

But why do some new models no longer have Winglets?

In opposition to many other modern aircraft, such as the Boeing 737, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner noticeably has no Winglets. This design decision is partly due to Boeing's choice of an alternative technology to achieve efficiency.

For the Dreamliner, Boeing opted for efficiency through a sleeker wing shape. This aircraft achieves impressive fuel savings without the need for traditional Winglets. Boeing refers to this wingtip as the “Raked wingtip”, not an upward-pointing flap but a streamlined wingtip.

TUI Dreamliner 787 taking off

A clever move

In case of the Boeing 777X, there is an intriguing twist in the story. While the 777X does indeed have Winglets, these are unique because they are adjustable.

Thanks to this technology, the Winglets on this aircraft can be moved upward and downward. You might wonder, "Doesn't that make it too complicated?"

No, there's a good reason behind it. On one hand, depending on the flight phase, the Winglet can be positioned to save fuel during flights. 

Winglet 777X

On the other hand, wing span matters. When the Winglets are oriented nearly horizontally during flight, the aircraft falls into the F category in terms of size. This includes super-jumbos, the largest of the large aircraft.

These enormous birds can only serve a limited number of airports due to their wide wingspan. However, thanks to the adjustable Winglets of the 777X, the aircraft can position the flaps fully vertically, reducing the wingspan by several meters.

As a result, the aircraft no longer belongs to category F but falls into a smaller category, E, and can serve more airports.

Conclusion

The next time you walk through an airport and see all those different types of Winglets, know that they play an important role in making the aviation industry a bit greener and more efficient.

Can you recognize the different Winglet types next time you’re in an airport? Good luck!


By: Rico Valkenborgh | October 26, 2023


Bibliografie

 

 

Flying while pregnant? What you need to know

What happens if you give birth on an airplane? You wouldn't expect it, but it does happen. A baby being born prematurely is not extremely rare, but a baby being born at 10 km altitude certainly is. Everything you need to know about airplane babies is revealed in this article.

Lees meer »

8 tips for a stress-free airport experience

Going through the airport can be exciting, especially when you think about all the things you need to organize: from packing your suitcase to boarding the plane. But don't worry, with good preparation and these tips, you can navigate the airport stress-free and fully enjoy your well-deserved vacation. Ready to read along?

Lees meer »

The journey of your airplane meal: behind the scenes

Before your airplane meal takes to the skies alongside you, it undergoes a significant journey. From the specialized factory kitchen to the galley of the aircraft. As a flight attendant, I serve food to the passengers on every flight, but where does that food come from? Let's take a behind-the-scenes look at our inflight catering provider.

Lees meer »

Reactie plaatsen

Reacties

Rodrigo Lopez
een jaar geleden

Vertaalde tekst
Β‘Vaya artΓ­culo! Se puede expresar con una palabra: WOW. Los "winglets" son, en efecto, una de las partes mΓ‘s importantes del aviΓ³n y el escritor aΓ±ade algunos datos curiosos. Me enorgullece que BΓ©lgica pueda contar con un escritor tan maravilloso.