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A JET plane in flight creates aerial warts on the wing tips. These vortices cause air resistance and increase fuel consumption. They also attack planes that can follow closely. Therefore, flights departing from the same runway must be sufficiently separated from each other to allow the vortex to propagate.
Aerospace engineers have found a way to reduce these problems. His solution? Fins inspired by the inverted wing tip feathers of soaring birds such as vultures, eagles and storks.
A flying wing
Remember: during flight, the wing feathers of these large birds flex upward to become almost vertical. This configuration balances maximum lift with minimum wing length. It also improves performance. Engineers designed flight wings with similar shapes. Through innovative wind tunnel testing, they found that the modified wings, if carefully bent at the tip and properly adjusted to the airflow, would improve aircraft performance by up to 10% or more today. The reason? The lamellae minimize drag by reducing the size of the vertebrae. In addition, the flaps also create a form of propulsion that neutralizes some of the aircraft's normal characteristics.
Winglet planes therefore allow them to fly longer, carry more cargo, have shorter wings, which also makes parking easier and saves fuel. In 2010, for example, airlines saved 7.6 billion liters of jet fuel globally and, contributed to a dramatic reduction in aircraft emissions. .