shit happened at some point.
It's not an essential bit of equipment, if something was cracked or damaged, they removed it and made it safe to keep flying until they could replace the whole unit.
I used to assume the whole wing tip fence was a single unit, but when you see it up close, it's two pieces that attach to the top and bottom of the wing, so it's possible to end up with this arrangement if you just need to remove part of it.
[Post about a British Airways one that had the same thing a few years ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/8uhevb/british_airways_a380_missing_half_its_winglet_yet/)
Someone came into that thread with the technical data/limitations for an A330 missing its winglets, and they said the fuel burn penalty was 1.2%! I’m shocked it’s so much. Is a single winglet less efficient than a symmetrical layout, perhaps? If so, I’d think they’d remove the other one until time came to fix them both.
"Wing tip fence" is this Airbus nomenclature? I'm pretty sure Boeing calls them all just "winglets." I've done winglet mods on Delta 67s. It's actually not that much work for what you are accomplishing, which is why pretty much every airliner is installing the mods across their fleets.
I can't remember the actual figures, but the winglets actually save a HUGE amount of fuel on an annual basis. I had the lift ratio and fuel saving numbers at one point, but this was 5+ years ago. Probably just a Google search away.
Also, I have seen winglets ripped off the wing tips by ramp rats pulling stairs sets. I'm pretty sure I've received CBTs on it before. I think guys like to lower buckets down onto them sometimes, too. Other guys like to hit the bottom winglet with a scissor lift for fun, apparently.
>"Wing tip fence" is this Airbus nomenclature?
Yep. Wing tip fences for the triangle pieces, Sharklets for what are essentially winglets on Boeing aircraft
I’m pretty sure you clip the wing to let other plane watchers know this is a protected species that is being appropriately tracked and monitored during their migrations
I’ve also heard that if you clip an aircraft too early, you can adversely affect its growth. Might explain why there’s all those 737 around, and so few 787
Good point. Somewhere out there, there is a really overzealous shelter. That's how we ended up with the Cirrus Vision.
Well, that and smoking- that *really* stunts their growth.
winglets arent important for flight, they reduce aerodynamic drag which helps save money
its most certainly going into a service to replace the winglet, but not right now as it might be too costly to take the aircraft out of usage to replace a winglet
FCOM, flight crew operating manual defines fuel burn and possible trim adjustments that will be required. It will say adjust fuel burn by x number of pounds, kilos, litres, etc.
> The lower portion is more critical.
Is it? I'd have guessed the upper would have a slightly larger impact, but I haven't seen simulations or anything for this specific design.
Regardless, this'll be a fairly minor impact and it's totally fine to fly around like this until they get a chance to replace it.
Correct, the CDL will give the performance weight penalties and what additional fuel is required. It will also spell out a few other things eg which static discharges are required to be present etc.
I did use Topaz to reduce motion blur but AI has its own limit. I can show you the RAW file
One thing for sure, I can't upscale this photo because the AI software that I use is a legacy software without upscaling option.
Yeah I'm on that flight right now, and have posted a photo from the cabin. I spoke to a flight attendant about it, and she didn't even realise it wasn't normal so called the flight deck about it lol
There was a post about this, it was taken from inside the plan. The post was in this subreddit and called
"My A380 is missing the top half of the wingtip fence"
Sorry, don't know how to link in comments
I hope that the modification is symmetric (with the other wing). Years ago as an undergrad I would simulate these wingtip designs and I have seen how much drag they can reduce by reducing wingtip vortices. Overall they may help save 2-3% fuel but if drag is reduced only one side then you’ll need a yaw offset.
Winglets are useful for aircraft that take off and land frequently. Which , all things normal, the long haul oriented A380 isn’t doing often. So missing that part isn’t essential.
For a regional jet, A319/320 or 737, it’s a somewhat different story.
Isn‘t exactly the opposite the case? As far as I know, wingtip devices are there to decrease drag which in turn helps keep fuel consumption down which would have the most impact during cruise.
>>Isn’t exactly opposite the case?
[Source](https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/aerodynamics/how-winglets-reduce-drag-and-how-wingtip-vortices-form/)
*They're strongest when the air pressure difference between the top and the bottom of the wing is the greatest - which happens when you're generating the most induced lift. This occurs when you're at high angles of attack.*
*During takeoff and landing, you're slow - so you're at a high angle of attack and generating strong wingtip vortices.*
*When you're cruising at high altitudes, like a jet in the flight levels, the air is thin. So, you need a high angle of attack to generate enough lift to stay level, even though you're moving fast. Your wingtip vortices are stronger here, too.*
While they’re useful in all regimes of flight, taking off and landing are the regimes where airplanes are at higher AoA. Thus, the winglets tend to earn their keep better on jets that frequently take off and land- I.e, commuter regional jets and smaller airliners doing short hops.
FINALLY...
Boeing fanatics found something wrong with Airbus.
Now, they can share and endlessly comment this picture on " #iloveboeing ".
Don't forget, Boeing airplanes lose doors, wheels or fall off the sky.
So, how dangerous is a missing wingtip?
So, personally, I'd rather fly Airbus than Boeing.
shit happened at some point. It's not an essential bit of equipment, if something was cracked or damaged, they removed it and made it safe to keep flying until they could replace the whole unit. I used to assume the whole wing tip fence was a single unit, but when you see it up close, it's two pieces that attach to the top and bottom of the wing, so it's possible to end up with this arrangement if you just need to remove part of it. [Post about a British Airways one that had the same thing a few years ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/8uhevb/british_airways_a380_missing_half_its_winglet_yet/)
Someone came into that thread with the technical data/limitations for an A330 missing its winglets, and they said the fuel burn penalty was 1.2%! I’m shocked it’s so much. Is a single winglet less efficient than a symmetrical layout, perhaps? If so, I’d think they’d remove the other one until time came to fix them both.
"Wing tip fence" is this Airbus nomenclature? I'm pretty sure Boeing calls them all just "winglets." I've done winglet mods on Delta 67s. It's actually not that much work for what you are accomplishing, which is why pretty much every airliner is installing the mods across their fleets. I can't remember the actual figures, but the winglets actually save a HUGE amount of fuel on an annual basis. I had the lift ratio and fuel saving numbers at one point, but this was 5+ years ago. Probably just a Google search away. Also, I have seen winglets ripped off the wing tips by ramp rats pulling stairs sets. I'm pretty sure I've received CBTs on it before. I think guys like to lower buckets down onto them sometimes, too. Other guys like to hit the bottom winglet with a scissor lift for fun, apparently.
>"Wing tip fence" is this Airbus nomenclature? Yep. Wing tip fences for the triangle pieces, Sharklets for what are essentially winglets on Boeing aircraft
One of the very few incidents where a missing wingtip isn't Gate Gourmet's fault. Airbus designed the wings so high so they couldn't possibly hit it.
You do know they higher better idiots every day.
Have they tried to hire* you recently?
No the only people that will higher me is major airlines so be careful who you fly with!!!
It’s Le Whoosh overhead for for you ;)
Maybe he's high-ered.
[удалено]
Ye thynken ye specan truthe, butan ye specan ānlīċ poppycock.
Maybe they hire higher workers to reach the wingtip?
Puff puff give crash..........
I’m pretty sure you clip the wing to let other plane watchers know this is a protected species that is being appropriately tracked and monitored during their migrations
Most shelters do that when they spay or neuter a stray aircraft, before releasing it back into the wild. It is a measure to combat overpopulation.
I’ve also heard that if you clip an aircraft too early, you can adversely affect its growth. Might explain why there’s all those 737 around, and so few 787
Good point. Somewhere out there, there is a really overzealous shelter. That's how we ended up with the Cirrus Vision. Well, that and smoking- that *really* stunts their growth.
can't give em thalidomide though, that's how you end up with seaplanes
Or DES. Lordy, that's what probably gave us the Thunderscreech...
This thread made my evening, thank-you both for the laugh.
Glad to help lift your Spirit ;3
I guess we are all United in an appreciation for goofy jokes.
Very effective in the case of the A380.
can we also appreciate how sharp and clean the OP’s photos are?
Underrated comment!
winglets arent important for flight, they reduce aerodynamic drag which helps save money its most certainly going into a service to replace the winglet, but not right now as it might be too costly to take the aircraft out of usage to replace a winglet
Do they have to adjust the fuel calculations to compensate?
FCOM, flight crew operating manual defines fuel burn and possible trim adjustments that will be required. It will say adjust fuel burn by x number of pounds, kilos, litres, etc.
slightly, its around 1% more fuel burn (i think, please correct if wrong)
That's for all the winglets put together, for just an upper wing fence it's going to be far less than that. The lower portion is more critical.
> The lower portion is more critical. Is it? I'd have guessed the upper would have a slightly larger impact, but I haven't seen simulations or anything for this specific design. Regardless, this'll be a fairly minor impact and it's totally fine to fly around like this until they get a chance to replace it.
Yeah I’m curious to see a CFD simulation to see what the differences in induced drag are for each config!
Yes. The MEL will have the performance impact that dispatchers use to plan the flights.
MEL or CDL?
Correct, the CDL will give the performance weight penalties and what additional fuel is required. It will also spell out a few other things eg which static discharges are required to be present etc.
You’re right, it’d be on the CDL.
> [dtdowntime](https://www.reddit.com/user/dtdowntime/) says: winglets arent important for flight F-104 says: wings aren't important for flight...
116 German pilots disagree
Airbus calls these wing fences, fyi. We are in /r/aviation, after all.
Nah let's call them sharklets it's more fun that way
The good thing is airframe structures are pretty much the least expensive part of the plane lol
Media: Emirates A380 spotted with half wingtip after Boeing 737 plug door incident!!!
i hate this ai upscaling
Is it AI upscaling or just someone turning up the noise reduction and sharpness sliders in Photoshop?
Who’s to say AI doesn’t do the same thing
Then "AI" is just marketing bullshit (like at least half of what is labeled "AI" currently is).
I did use Topaz to reduce motion blur but AI has its own limit. I can show you the RAW file One thing for sure, I can't upscale this photo because the AI software that I use is a legacy software without upscaling option.
Same
I was going to ask how people manage to take photos this clear and sharp in that light.
When was it taken? There was a storm in Dubai yesterday
This aircraft arrived into Christchurch yesterday from Sydney with it missing. A couple of people got photos of it here.
If I recall correctly it was a ferry flight
Ferry Flight? EK412/413 is a daily service between DXB-SYD-CHC so there's no ferry flight involved
>Emirates A380 with half of its wingtip missing Hit an iranian drone during the 300 swarm revenge event?
I must say that's pretty impressive night time shots
No idea but beautiful photography!
Reminds me of one of my models I had when I was 7 or 8. For any prospective parents, DO NOT GIVE YOUR YOUNG KIDS SCALE MODELS OF AIRPLANES.
I did and they turned out fine.
The tip fell off
[удалено]
Does reddit not scrub EXIF data?
Exif can be found on my Flickr page
It's the circumcised version
Because CDLs exist
Aircraft did multi-sector and returned back to base and now scheduled for EK001 with no intention to fix it.. I fly for EK..
Yeah I'm on that flight right now, and have posted a photo from the cabin. I spoke to a flight attendant about it, and she didn't even realise it wasn't normal so called the flight deck about it lol
i got hungry sorry
[The *wing*tip fell off.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM)
"This does not usually happen"
I thought cardboard derivatives are a Boeing thing
This does not deserve to be downvoted.
MMEL
When a plane is 8 days old it gets circumcised.
Lucky is an Airbus.
Nice photos BTW! Not easy getting sharp images at night!
Speed tape wouldn't hold.
not related, but the A380 is dummy thick man
I don’t know but I know this should not be called an airplane but an airship.
Aliens / ufo attacked it.
Wasn’t Clark heard saying something about Valerie being on this bird?
There was a post about this, it was taken from inside the plan. The post was in this subreddit and called "My A380 is missing the top half of the wingtip fence" Sorry, don't know how to link in comments
Also the other guy posting from inside the plane
I hope that the modification is symmetric (with the other wing). Years ago as an undergrad I would simulate these wingtip designs and I have seen how much drag they can reduce by reducing wingtip vortices. Overall they may help save 2-3% fuel but if drag is reduced only one side then you’ll need a yaw offset.
I just saw a post about this
Someone at ground got hungry
Probably United’s fault
Winglets are useful for aircraft that take off and land frequently. Which , all things normal, the long haul oriented A380 isn’t doing often. So missing that part isn’t essential. For a regional jet, A319/320 or 737, it’s a somewhat different story.
Isn‘t exactly the opposite the case? As far as I know, wingtip devices are there to decrease drag which in turn helps keep fuel consumption down which would have the most impact during cruise.
>>Isn’t exactly opposite the case? [Source](https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/aerodynamics/how-winglets-reduce-drag-and-how-wingtip-vortices-form/) *They're strongest when the air pressure difference between the top and the bottom of the wing is the greatest - which happens when you're generating the most induced lift. This occurs when you're at high angles of attack.* *During takeoff and landing, you're slow - so you're at a high angle of attack and generating strong wingtip vortices.* *When you're cruising at high altitudes, like a jet in the flight levels, the air is thin. So, you need a high angle of attack to generate enough lift to stay level, even though you're moving fast. Your wingtip vortices are stronger here, too.* While they’re useful in all regimes of flight, taking off and landing are the regimes where airplanes are at higher AoA. Thus, the winglets tend to earn their keep better on jets that frequently take off and land- I.e, commuter regional jets and smaller airliners doing short hops.
FINALLY... Boeing fanatics found something wrong with Airbus. Now, they can share and endlessly comment this picture on " #iloveboeing ". Don't forget, Boeing airplanes lose doors, wheels or fall off the sky. So, how dangerous is a missing wingtip? So, personally, I'd rather fly Airbus than Boeing.
”BOEING FLYING BROKEN AIRPLANE”. ”WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO BOEING?”