Microlighters

I am getting confused - so those who can - please help!

In my mind, wingtips on a trike will serve the purpose of stabilising directional control - that's it.

However, I am told that adding these will increase speed with 10 mph , give or take.

This will come at a cost of R 7000.

A question posed directly to the GT guys (who know and understand speed): Do wingtips really add speed??

I'll tell you why I am asking: Jenya is currently "overhauling" my Spirit 15 wing, new sail and wires etc. for my full fairing Cobra. 582 with BIG P prop. He told me that adding tips (HORRIBLY EXPENSIVE at R 7000) will increase speed.

I cannot see this in my own logic - it will have a stabilising effect - yes - but speed??

Sorry - lastly: Don't tell me that wingtips make trikes faster because Gt's have them - they also have 912's. What in the design of the GT airframe make them faster - AND DOES THE WINGTIPS play a part? Or are those just a nice add-on that comes with the package?

Has anybody flown a GT without the wingtips? If so - was there a marked difference in airspeed? Help!

Improved directional control . . . Yes!

Reduction (slight) in wingtip vortices, therefore slight reduction in drag, therefore slight improvement in speed . . . Yes!

BUT, 10mph extra speed? I doubt it?

That for R7K? NO!!!

I feel that this is tantamount to these armchair cyclists who go out and buy carbon fibre rims for their bicycle, at a cost of R20,000, to save 500g of weight (in order to improve speed), rather than have five less beers a week and thereby over time lose 5kg of 'human body' weight!!

Let's hear from others!

Safe Skies!

John

Hi,

Winglets reduce wing tip vortices by as much a metre each side meaning that you can fly a smaller wing.

Directional control can only come from a toe-in setting (spats). There is no toe-in setting on winglets.

Extra speed in your case will be marginal with more lift at cruise requiring less throttle. To fly bar in is a waste of fuel.

Regards
John

Then even if it does nuttin, at least it LOOKS kinda cool!

Yes - but not cool enough at R 7000 if it does nothing..

Asterix wrote:Yes - but not cool enough at R 7000 if it does nothing..

A bit like an orange on the airial or fur on the dash of your car - doesn't do much for top speed.

Asterix,

You should ask Skin about the benefits.
He said he gained about 5mph after fitting the tips.
Also more lift so shorter take-off and lower fuel consumption due to greater lift in flight - thus reduced throttle required for Straight and Level.

The wing tip vortices creating drag will be reduced by the addition of the tips.
Why do you think all new BIG planes come standard with these - fuel consumption!

I agree with Boet that it looks cool and would have loved to add some to my topless wing but at R7K - it will have to wait a while...

JCH wrote:Asterix,

You should ask Skin about the benefits.
He said he gained about 5mph after fitting the tips.
Also more lift so shorter take-off and lower fuel consumption due to greater lift in flight - thus reduced throttle required for Straight and Level.

The wing tip vortices creating drag will be reduced by the addition of the tips.
Why do you think all new BIG planes come standard with these - fuel consumption!

I agree with Boet that it looks cool and would have loved to add some to my topless wing but at R7K - it will have to wait a while...

Looks like you are reinforcing what has already been posted.

Regards
John

Really wanted to add a set of these to my Gemini wing but like you said 7K eish.

If we were looking in the region of maybe 2k then yes cool expensive but worth it.

The winglets increase lift and make the wing more efficient. This was taken from http://www.mandhsoaring.com/Why%20Winglets/WL-IT.pdf http://www.smartcockpit.com/data/pdfs/f ... nology.pdf

Sorry I do not have R7000 for a set of winglets.

James, go speak to Hendrik Loots... he fitted tips to the Apollo a few weeks before he sold the plane and he said to me there was a massive difference in stability as well as an increase in speed... how much I cant tell you. John is correct in that they help to reduce the Induced drag caused by the tip vortices... but I do not know if an extra 3 -4 MPH (Im guessing) is worth the cost? Onthou jy gaan al klaar vinniger wees as "Geel Kerneels".... so dont go scare the crap out of yourself!

Agree with Boet though! They look super cool

I cant wait to see that new wing of yours on the Cobra where it belongs, you chose an awesome colour scheme chom.

Winglets on a wing get rid of the induced drag co-effecient , and makes the believe its one third longer than it is by capturing the lift that slips off the wing at the tips .

And if you going to ask what is induced drag it is the vortex comming off a aeroplanes wing when you see it flying in moist conditions sort of looks like a coil of air forming at the end of the wing,

For instance take the winglets off a Airbus and you loose a third of its lifting capability .

Im open to correction but you take the winglets off the Quick and its and extra 150 meters run on the take off, and im not to sure but i think you loose a third of the lifting performance.
As for the vertical stabilizing i think it plays a very small part as that job is provided by the wheel spats if you read the manual , no spats no fly .

In other words Winglets are extremely functional things and are not there just for show , in fact the Quiks winglets serve two purposes .
1. To remove the induced drag which makes the wing move through the air easier.
2. To create a more effecient wing to allow for only thirteen square meters or even 11.2 squares in the case of the R wing.
3. Im not sure about the exact figures but i think if you remove the winglets , you loose a up to a third of you lifting capacity , and the induced drag will hold you back like a unpaid whore.

I think everybody knows that my trike is one of the most sensitive flying trikes out there..
The Winglets,
increased my cruising speed
takes turbulence way better
shorter take-off
sharper turns
and way more,
I tell ya.

Guys

This thread is supposed to stop me from wanting Winglets and not to start thinking about budgetting for a set.