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Surely you noticed more than once some protruding elements on the tips of the wings, These are called winglets and their objective is very interesting.
post writer by: Juan Matheus
Coming to our third between on the Why do planes fly?, we will analyze the technical part, but in a very practical and understandable way those beautiful winglets, what more than being aesthetic, has a more important goal, which is to ensure the economy of the airlines.
Winglets
We have mentioned several times that the flow of air passing through the wing of an airplane generates an area of high pressure and one of low pressure.. These two regions are located at the tips of the wing, where it ends. This generates vorticity., a phenomenon that in turn increases the resistance of the air to movement or drag force. The winglet is a curved element that protrudes from the tips of the wings of some aircraft.. Although it is not a crucial element in the operation of an airplane, its objective is to reduce the vorticity at the ends of the wings, which requires burning more fuel to obtain the same cruising speed.. It also allows you to fly faster, but airlines prefer them because of the savings they generate.
Manufacturers have made them in various ways such as the Airbus Sharklet in its A320Neo family or the very complex Split Scimitar Winglet of the Boeing 737 MAX (also available in the NG). Other more modern aircraft such as the Boeing 787 DREAMLINER have eliminated the need for the winglet by using composite materials that allow a wing with a very pronounced curvature and arc..
The “wing tip device” as it is known in Spanish may be a very basic piece, however it has been calculated that the reduction in fuel consumption is on the order of 3%. Doesn't seem to be relevant, However, Fuel consumption costs are one of the most important variables that airlines must deal with and on long-haul flights it can make a big difference. So much so that its development was promoted by NASA studies during the years 70, where oil prices skyrocketed.
Manufacturers are constantly designing and testing new winglet designs, which requires in-depth knowledge of aerodynamics and must be tested in wind tunnels to verify their efficiency.. That is why we see that the different generations of the same model can be differentiated by the shape of their winglet. (tip para spotters). In models like the Boeing 757, Many airlines added them later and they did not come from the factory, but it helped keep it profitable to have them in their fleets..
Why a 777 does not have them? Its wing is too long and its effect, smaller.
Don't miss the fourth part of this special very soon.
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