Ever wondered why wings on a plane turn up at the ends? Here’s the interesting reason why
These small bits are called 'winglets' and they play a really crucial role in keeping the aircraft flying as it should
WE all have that obligatory mid-air snap of the plane’s wing soaring majestically over the clouds as we jet off on hols.
But have you ever looked back and wondered why the tiny tip of the wing turns upright?
These small bits are called winglets and they play a really crucial role in keeping the plane flying as it should, Qantas said in a new explainer.
The winglet is there to reduce vortex drag, which is the spiralling flow of air that forms under the tip of the wing mid-flight.
“You can sometimes see these spirals trailing behind an aircraft wing — keep an eye out for them when it’s raining or misty,” Qantas reported.
“Even though these spirals look pretty impressive, the drag they create isn’t ideal.
“Drag places additional resistance on an aircraft, which means we need to use more power and burn more fuel to counteract it.”
And that’s why winglets are useful — they reduce the amount of air from swirling around the end of the wing and therefore the amount of drag.
They also help to improve take off performance and increase aircraft stability, making for a smoother ride.
Winglets have been a feature of jets for the past few decades, and their design was inspired by the upturned feathers on bird’s wings as they soar through the air.
Even though the concept is the same, different manufacturers have varying approaches to winglet design, Qantas said.
According to the airline: “All of our Boeing 737s have blended winglets which curve up from the end of the wing.
“Our colleagues over at Jetstar operate similar-sized but Airbus manufactured aircraft called A320s whose winglets are called sharklets.
“On our A330 and A380 aircraft the wingtip is triangular in shape while on our Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners (the first of which arrives this year) the entire wing is curved up into what is known as a raked wing tip.”
Yesterday we revealed the ten strangest flight requests made by plane passengers.
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