WINGLETS

Winglets are wing tip extensions which provide several benefits to airplane operators. There are two types of winglet available, Boeing's own built into the wing at the time of manufacture and the APB winglet as a retrofit. At 7ft the APB winglet is slightly shorter than Boeings own at 8ft 2in.


Benefits
Depending on the airplane, its cargo, the airline's routes and other factors, winglets have the potential to give:


IMPROVED TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE
By allowing a steeper climb, winglets pay off in better takeoff performance, especially from obstacle-limited, high, hot, weight-limited, and/or noise-restricted airports. Performance Improved climb gradients increase 737-800 allowable takeoff weight (TOW).

Some examples include:
Chicago-Midway: ~1,600 lb additional TOW
Lanzarote (Canary Islands): ~3,500 lb additional TOW
Albuquerque, Denver, and Salt Lake City: ~4,400 lb additional TOW.

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REDUCED ENGINE MAINTENANCE COSTS
Better climb performance also allows lower thrust settings, thus extending engine life and reducing maintenance costs. Lower Required Thrust Levels Extend On-Wing Life.
Takeoff - Winglets allow up to 3% incremental derate.
Cruise - Cruise thrust levels are reduced by up to 4%.


FUEL SAVINGS
Winglets lower drag and improve aerodynamic efficiency, thus reducing fuel burn. Depending on the missions you fly, blended winglets can improve cruise fuel mileage up to 6 percent, especially important during a time of rising fuel prices.



INCREASED PAYLOAD RANGE
The addition of Aviation Partners Blended Winglets to the 737 Next Generation has demonstrated drag reduction in the 5 to 7% range that measurably increases range and fuel efficiency . In addition, the Blended Winglets allow the 737-NG to take off from higher, hotter airports with increased payload.


ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
With winglets, you can be a good neighbour in the community you serve. They enhance performance at noise-restricted airports and cut the affected area by 6.5 percent, saving you money on airport noise quotas or fines. By reducing fuel consumption, winglets help lower NOx emissions by 5%.


IMPROVED OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY
By increasing Payload Range and Overall Performance, Blended Winglets add flexibility to fleet operations and route selection. Air Berlin notes, "Previously, we'd step-climb from 35,000 to 41,000 feet. With Blended Winglets, we can now climb direct to 41,000 feet where traffic congestion is much less and we can take advantage of direct routings and shortcuts which we could not otherwise consider."


MODERN DRAMATIC APPEARANCE
Blended Winglets bring a modern look and feel to aircraft, and improve customers' perceptions of the reliability and modernity of the Airline.

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DIMENSIONS
Each winglet is 8 feet long and 4 feet in width at the base, narrowing to approximately two feet at the tip.
Added wingspan
Winglets add approximately 5 feet to the airplane's total wingspan - from 112 feet 7 inches to 117 feet 2 inches. (All Next-Generation 737 models have the same wingspan.)
Weight
Each winglet weighs about 132 pounds. Increased weight to the airplane for modifying wing and installing winglets is about 480 pounds.





AIRLINE PROVISIONS
Structural modifications to accommodate the winglet include strengthening the wing's centre section and other internal strengthening on the wing. These enhancements are done in the normal production process. Various systems changes have also been made to accommodate winglet installation.


OFFERABILITY
Production and retrofit winglets for the Next-Generation 737s are available through Boeing (production) and Aviation Partners Boeing (retrofit). Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) is a joint venture partnership between Boeing and Aviation Partners Inc. (API).


CERTIFICATION
Retrofit FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) was granted to APB on 3/23/2001. LBA (German regulatory agency) STC was granted to APB on 5/4/2001. JAA STC was granted May 2001. Boeing PLOD (program letter of definition) was granted 5/9/2001 by both the FAA and JAA for Boeing production.


OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
There is a small difference in rotation rate for airplanes with winglets installed and, as a result, the crew needs to be cautious of pitch rate. There is also approximately a � unit take-off trim change between non-winglet and winglet aircraft so the green band is slightly different for winglet aircraft.



The 757 Series are getting a new look!
Here is a shot of the first 757 in The Continental Airline Livery with it's new "attachment" �





Thanks For reading....

Dave

8)

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Or vice versa...

and back to the main text...

Airbus build airliners as well you know too... The have "wee" winglets.

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I have to admit I've been surprised at the lack of change by Airbus in the wing tip department. Having said that, they recruit the best of the best engineering brains in Europe and the rest of the world, so they know what they're doing...

Winglets...okay on the 73x, ugly as hell on every other a/c.

IM sure Ill enjoy reading this later, but I dont see a mention of increased safety.  Because the wingtip vortices are reduced, safety for other aircraft is increased, as the vortices can cause severe problems with the lift of a wing that enters one left behind by another plane.  Just my input

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Probably not... as changing to blended winglets makes them go over the max allowed width