First off... sorry to include a MS Paint marked up image... So, I guess I will try and kill two birds with one stone here...First, what are those things called that those gorgeous, streamlined, vibrant red MS Paint arrows are pointing at? Driving by LAX often, I always notice when a Southwest 737 comes in that there are landing lights on the outside "insert airplane part name from question one above" under the wing. I dont seem to notice it on many other airplanes.Is this a SW only option? Now the important ?... Will it be avail on the NGX???Thanks much!

I believe those are the flap track fairings. They cover the tracks the flaps move on to streamline the aircraft. Someone else might have to correct me, as I'm not 100% sure, but I think that's what they are.As for the landing lights, I believe the retractable landing lights were on the outside on the 737 classics, but are on the inside on the NG's. Since Southwest still has a ton of classics, that's probably what you're seeing. Again, I'm not 100% sure, but that's what I seem to remember and pictures on A.Net seem to point to that being the case.

The arrows are pointing at the flaptrack fairings. All NG's have landinglights in the outboard fairings, as well as on the body to wing fairings, just in front of the main gear. It depends on the airline's SOP how all lights are used. Inboard are always used. Outboard only when the SOP instructs to do so.

All NG's have landinglights in the outboard fairings

Are you sure the NG's still have those?For instance, in these pictures, I don't see the lights in the outboard fairingsairliners.net/photo/Continental-Airlines/Boeing-737-724/1926901/L/airliners.net/photo/Southwest-Airlines/Boeing-737-7H4/1926887/L/airliners.net/photo/Gazpromavia/Boeing-737-76N/1928445/L/Compared to this SWA 733, where you can easily see the outboard lights.airliners.net/photo/Southwest-Airlines/Boeing-737-3H4/1926370/L/Don't take this the wrong way, just trying to learn. :(

Gents, some answers here. :( http://www.b737.org.uk/aircraft_general.htm#Lights

Gents, some answers here. :( http://www.b737.org.uk/aircraft_general.htm#Lights

Thanks, Mark, I forgot about that website for whatever reason. It seems to answer my curiosity.

The retractable lights are on the fuselage in the NG, not on the flap fairings... the planes you saw landing were 300s or 500s. Look at the color of the flap fairings, that's an easy way to tell with SWA - they don't paint the fairings orange on the classics, only the NGs.

thanks all... Mark, thats a good like to bookmark!

DOH! :( Never though it would happen, but indeed I mixed up PG and NG :( Oh well... I guess the NGX will help me learn the NG even better :(

thanks all... Mark, thats a good like to bookmark!

Mike, it sure is! The whole site is an absolute must-read for NGX pilots-in-waiting, some very interesting stuff there.

I believe those are the flap track fairings. They cover the tracks the flaps move on to streamline the aircraft. Someone else might have to correct me, as I'm not 100% sure, but I think that's what they are.

I know I posted some of those elsewhere but I thought some might still find it interesting. Some flap track fairing details follow. Beware, MS paint has been used in this post.A few colored guidelines:FlapFlap trackJackscrews driving the flapsThe infamous rod that goes thru the wing and has been posted in one of the dev's shots, driving all the flaps (so it will be there in the NGX)The flap motorThe ALTN flap motor1. Is taken looking in direction of the right wing tip, so left is 'fwd', right is 'aft', and straight ahead is 'right'.2. Detail of inside of pylon. Arrows point approx in direction 'fwd'3. Perspecive as in 1., but now inside MLG bay. Basically the white wall in the background is the MLG bay wall (you can see the fuselage curvature at the bottom)4. The green rod goes from the MLG bay (where the flap motors sit) thru the wing, and there's a transmission gear at every pylon translating the rotation and thus driving the jackscrews5. The ingenious mechanism driving the lower flap6. Looking aft-left-up inside the MLG bay, sort of. the actual flap motor is pretty small and looks exactly like an angular hyd pump (I believe that's pretty much what it is, but designed as a motor, not a pump, obviously)I know, not exactly in accord with the thread title, but yet I hope you enjoyed the little tour.PS. Correct, the NG ldg lights (the retracts) are indeed not on the fairings but rather on the underside belly... I wonder if there's any max speed up to what they could be operated (maybe V_LDGLT...). :(

Very interesting indeed, thanks for the share

PS. Correct, the NG ldg lights (the retracts) are indeed not on the fairings but rather on the underside belly... I wonder if there's any max speed up to what they could be operated (maybe V_LDGLT...). :(

Max. recommended speed with the LDG lights out is 250 knots.

Max. recommended speed with the LDG lights out is 250 knots.

Hey cool, thanks. :( Any reference though?

Just for completeness in relation to the original question, you may also come across those fairings being referred to as 'canoes' (for obvious reasons).The 250 knot limit on the lights is a directive from Boeing, it is to avoid excessive air loads on the hinges. It's also that way because you might want to keep them out on the climb up to 10,000 to aid conspicuity, and putting the limit at 250 conveniently ties in with the typical speed limit below ten grand, so it works as an aid-memoir to retracting them.Interestingly, they've been put in a few different locations on the 737 over the years, to try and prevent them taking damage from flying stones and such on the take off run, although there is no location where they be completely immune from that risk of course.Al

what brilliant little website!!! bookmarked for sure. Im failing at the aircraft general quiz hehe. Thanks