What are Boeing 737 winglets?

What are Boeing 737 winglets?

Winglets are added to the end of a plane’s wings to reduce drag and ultimately enable more efficient flight. They work by reducing a process known as vortex drag, caused by different air pressures converging at the tips of each wing and slowing the aircraft down.

How do blended winglets reduce drag?

Aerodynamic effects The use of winglets leads to a splitting of the tip vortex. The vortex is displaced and reappears in a smaller form at the winglet tip. The smaller vortex has a lower rotational speed and less kinetic energy and thus a reduction of the induced drag.

Does Boeing have winglets?

Boeing’s new 737 Max airliners are equipped with third-generation winglets that offer a 1% to 2% improvement over the second-gen models.

Does Boeing 747 have winglets?

The longer-range twin-engine A330 and four-engine A340 have conventional winglets, as do Boeing 747-400s. Aviation Partners, a Seattle, Washington company, has a new design it calls a “blended” winglet.

Why are winglets used on aircraft?

Winglets increase an aircraft’s operating efficiency by reducing what is called induced drag at the tips of the wings. An aircraft’s wing is shaped to generate negative pressure on the upper surface and positive pressure on the lower surface as the aircraft moves forward.

What is the most efficient aircraft?

The most fuel-efficient airline was Norwegian Air Shuttle with 44 pax-km/L (2.27 L/100 km [104 mpg‑US] per passenger), thanks to its fuel-efficient Boeing 787-8, a high 85% passenger load factor and a high density of 1.36 seat/m2 due to a low 9% premium seating.

What do airplane winglets do?

Winglets are vertical extensions of wingtips that improve an aircraft’s fuel efficiency and cruising range. Designed as small airfoils, winglets reduce the aerodynamic drag associated with vortices that develop at the wingtips as the airplane moves through the air.