January 21, 200719 yr It has a good efficient aspect ratio and I believe that having winglets would make the span to long to fit into some airports that it serves. Chris Miller
January 21, 200719 yr I remember they were gonna give the 777 folding wingtips at one time but no customer was interested.
January 24, 200719 yr Winglets -- The must have fashion accessory of the nineties :-)weight + profile drag (100% of flight time) VERSUS reduction in induced drag ( 5% of flight time - and thats generous for a long haul aircraft).It just doesn't add up. What next! ? "Q" tips on propellers. Ah well fashions come and go. :-lolRoger Cheers, Roger http://forum.avsim.net/public/styles_images/flags/au.png
January 24, 200719 yr >weight + profile drag (100% of flight time) VERSUS reduction>in induced drag ( 5% of flight time - and thats generous for a>long haul aircraft).>>It just doesn't add up. Actually, depending on the configuration, winglets may add a bit of directional stability, so a bit of their increase in weight and profile drag is saved back on the vertical stabilizer.But yes, the advantages of winglets are marginal at the best.But they look good. As Dr. Roskam says, "There is plenty of evidence that 'good looks' helps sell airplanes!" :)Marco "Society has become so fake that the truth actually bothers people".
January 24, 200719 yr Never knew that Southwest was into looks more then function.Also the winglets are not made by Boeing so that doesn't help them sell airplanes... Chris Miller
January 24, 200719 yr >Never knew that Southwest was into looks more then function.I never said that, but "good looks" certainly plays a role (of course a secondary role) in aircraft design, as it does in every other industrial design.Marco "Society has become so fake that the truth actually bothers people".
January 25, 200719 yr Author >I remember they were gonna give the 777 folding wingtips at>one time but no customer was interested.Actually, those folding wingtips are what originally got the 777 launched. Airlines at the time were worried that the 777 wingspan would be too large, and were skeptical about ordering it. So Boeing's solution was to put folding wingtips on the airplane. Eventually, it was realized that folding wingtips weren't needed, but had they not been offered airlines probably would have lost interest in the airplane and would probably have been scrapped eventually. According to a book I read. ;) Sean Wood Rock Island, IL CPL-ASEL, AMEL/IR
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