Winglet

A winglet is a component that reduces how much fuel airplanes use during flight. It does this by lowering the amount of induced drag.

 Explanation of induced drag 
Drag happens when air pushes, or exerts force, against a moving object.

However, induced drag happens when air is pushed out from under the plane's wing and to its far edge, known as the wingtip. This air then goes up and over the wingtip, creating a spiral; these spirals are known as wingtip vortices.

These spirals of air bring more high-pressure air from under the wing to the space above the wing, pulling the wing down and backward. This process is what makes induced drag.

Induced drag increases with the strength of wingtip vortices. Heavier and slower airplanes create stronger wingtip vortices; as a result, they create more induced drag.

 Applications 
To keep high-pressure air under the wings of an airplane, winglets are used. Winglets make it harder for air to go around the wingtips and push the wings down; as a result, the plane's induced drag is reduced.

Winglets are useful in large aircraft that make a lot of induced drag, such as business jets, airliners, and cargo planes.

 References 

Category:Aerospace engineering