Table of Contents
Why does the 787 have so much wing flex?
The wings of the Boeing 787 are so flexible because its carbon fiber material can be stretched more, and the high aspect ratio of 11 will magnify this effect. In flight, all you will feel is less shaking due to gusts, because the wing will dampen load changes more effectively.
Is wing Flex good?
Flex does increase the risks of things like fatigue cracking (metal), delamination (composite), excessive strain and aerodynamic surprises, but if these are all allowed for in the design then the plane will be lighter and have a better payload-range than the equivalent stiff wing.
Why does the Boeing 787 have winglets instead of winglets?
787 has something called raked wingtips which are more optimised for long distance flights. The 777–300ER/777F and 747–8 has those to and these are Boeing’s mainstay long range jets. Because they utilize raked wingtips – more efficient than winglets for aircraft of their size.
What is ‘raked wing’ in Boeing 787?
Boeing 787 has a feature known as ‘raked wing.’ They are much more efficient (2-3\%) than winglets in reducing induced drag. Also the feature increases the Aspect ratio of the wing much more better than the conventional winglets. The main purpose of winglets is to reduce induced drag .
What makes the Boeing 787 Dreamliner different from other aircraft?
Unlike some older aircraft with winglets added to them in the early 1990s, the Boeing 787 was a revolutionary design built using many new materials and modern technologies. When they designed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing came up with a raked wingtip design.
What are winglets and why do some aircraft have them?
Adding wingtips to the end of an aircraft’s wing reduces air swirling around, thereby lessening drag. Winglets also help improve the plane’s takeoff performance and contribute to a more stable flight, which makes for a smoother ride. The Boeing 737 MAX features specially designed winglets. Photo: Boeing