Maybe it's like that on other planes too, but I've only been on passenger craft and I am wondering what the avionic purpose of these upthrust wing-tips are for.
2006-07-18 23:19:50 · 4 answers · asked by ashinchile 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
As lift is generated over the wing, airflow at the tip generates wing-tip vortices. These vortices produce drag and turbulent airflow behind the aircraft. Winglets at the wing tips signficantly reduce the vortex on each wing. Reducing the vortex formation reduces drag.
Why don't all aircraft have them? Primarly due to weight and costs. Winglets add weight and aerodynamic load at the wing tip furthest from the wing root. As such the structure should ideally utilize high strength, light weight materials such as composites. With composite production costs being reduced over the years, coupled with the ability to produce more complex shapes, costs are down, but it can still be a trade-off. Higher fuel costs are pushing more commercial airlines to purchase aircraft with these fuel savings devices.
While researching this subject for a college paper, I was interested to learn that very large passenger and military aircraft can produce vortices that can actually cause light weight aircraft to crash under the right circumstances. Not common, but this has occured.
2006-07-19 15:41:56 · answer #1 · answered by Mack Man 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The lift of an airplane is made by a pressure difference from the lowere and upper surface of the wing, but when these two different pressures meet at the tip of the wing, a vertex is formed (this effect is called ground effect), and "bent tips" are installed at the tips of the wings of most big airplanes to reduce the vertex, which is very harmful to other aircraft coming behind the airplane that is causing the vertex. This vertex is harmful the most especially during the takeoffs and landings.
good luck, and i hope i answered your question well.
2006-07-18 23:42:12 · answer #2 · answered by john 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To reduce Direct Operating Cost of the aircraft! It's true.
So this is how it works: without wingtips, there will be induced drag caused by the vortex swirling behing the tip (the airflow itself is actually beautiful); this vortex can be reduced by installing inclined-plane at the tip. In terms of aeroelasticity, wingtips may introduce additional mass to stiffened the wing a little bit.
2006-07-18 23:49:02 · answer #3 · answered by alifu 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They break up the vortex that is otherwise created at the end of the wing. This has the effect of reducing drag.
2006-07-19 02:24:17 · answer #4 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋