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Both the Airbus A350 and the Airbus A330neo feature variations on the blended and curved wingtip. This grants both jets efficiency improvements, reducing environmental costs and increasing revenues without needing broader wingspans that could make the aircraft less flexible. However, that does not mean that the two winglets are the same. A350s were a cleansheet design, giving Airbus an opportunity to revolutionize the winglet. They developed much larger and more curved winglets compared with the A330neo.
Read on to learn more about how the two jets’ winglets differ, and why not all A350 winglets are the same. We then cover a key reason for the A350 having larger winglets, the simple fact that it is a larger and heavier aircraft.
What Are Winglets?
Before we can start to interrogate the differences between A330neo and A350 winglets, it is essential to understand what they are and why so many modern aircraft have them. Winglets are vertical extensions that are built onto an aircraft’s wingtips. The innovation improves fuel efficiency and cruising range by reducing drag, while still allowing the aircraft to maintain the necessary lift. These small airfoils are designed to avoid the vortices that develop at an aircraft’s wingtips during flight and pull it back.
These vortices form because an aircraft wing has higher air pressure under the wing and lower pressure above it. That’s what generates lift. However, the two pressure zones meet at a wingtip, creating unstable air. Winglets divert the low-pressure air away from the high-pressure air, stopping this problem.
Over the decades, aircraft manufacturers have designed many different winglets. The first tended to be canted winglets, which were short and sloped upward. They were seen on the Boeing 747-400, Airbus A330, and Airbus A340. As these older aircraft retire, fewer canted winglets are now seen. Then came blended winglets pioneered by Gulfstream in the 1990s. These devices are part of the wing itself and smoothly extend and bend outward. Both the A350 and A330neo use these types of winglets, but in different ways. Split-scimitar winglets feature two winglets. One bends down, and the other up.
A350 Winglets
A350 winglets are distinctive for their aggressive curve upward and their full integration into the composite wing structure. This was made possible because the A350 utilized a cleansheet wing design that meant they didn’t need to be retrofitted onto winglet-less wings. The winglets are also significantly larger than the A330neos, an impressive 14.4 feet (4.4 meters).
The curve was integrated into the winglet because it allowed for much greater wing flex. That means the overall wing can adjust to changing air pressure during flight, making for a smoother and more efficient ride. The same philosophy is the reasoning for the 787’s curved wings.
The table below shows critical specifications for the Airbus A350:
|
Wingspan |
212 feet 5 in (64.75 meters) |
|---|---|
|
Wing area |
4,760 square feet (442 square meters) |
|
Length |
219 feet 2 in (66.8 meters) |
|
Three-Class Seats |
300-350 |
|
Maximum takeoff weight |
624,000 lbs (283,000 kg) |
|
Powerplant |
2 × Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 high-bypass turbofan producing 84,200 lbf (374.5 kN) each |
|
Range |
8,500 nautical miles (15,750 km) |
The A350’s winglets are part of a broader advanced design that has allowed this aircraft to make unprecedented advances in efficiency and range. Airbus claims both variants are made of 70% advanced materials and have a 25% lower fuel burn compared with comparable airliners of the previous generation. That helps carriers to meet their environmental obligations and reduces operating costs so they can improve profit margins.
Why Did Boeing Build The 777 Without Winglets?
We unravel the secrets of the 777’s wingtips.
Not All A350 Winglets Are The Same
Experienced spotters will know that two A350s of the same variant may sometimes have different winglets. That is because, over the almost 13 years since the aircraft first flew, Airbus has made incremental improvements to the jet. The changes impacting its wings and winglets came in 2017, making the winglets taller and squarer. Airbus was doubling down on its winglet design and achieved a broader span load and even further reduced drag as a result.
While the vast majority of A350s manufactured in the 2020s have this design change, older A350s will usually not. The first jet to feature the new winglets was an A350-900ULR built for Singapore Airlines in 2018. A350s with the different winglets have a manufacturer serial number (MSN) of 216 or higher. Examples of operators flying the A350 with the older winglet design include Finnair, Delta Air Lines, Qatar Airlines, and Singapore Airlines. That means there is plenty of opportunity to see them at most major airports for eagle-eyed spotters.
Leeham News & Analysis first revealed the new winglet design in 2017. Initial plans were for the improvement to be rolled out in 2020, but work progressed far faster than expected. Francois Obe, the A350’s marketing director, explained why: “With the aircraft being better than we have expected in service… we will be able to deliver some of [the new developments] in 2018…We needed to be sure the aircraft structure was good enough to sustain the additional weight, and it is the case.”
A330neo Winglets
The A330neo didn’t only have more advanced and efficient engines; the aircraft was also built with new wings. The A330-900neo has a wingspan of 210 feet (64 meters), making it 12 feet (3.7 meters) broader than the original A330’s wingspan. Within these new wings were integrated wingtips that followed a similar design philosophy to the A350’s wingtips but were a little smaller. The wingtips extend the overall wingspan by around 12 feet. They are also slightly closer to the sharklets common on modern narrowbody Airbus aircraft, but are still blended. These devices were initially constructed in Korea.
The table below shows specifications for the A330-900neo according to Airbus’ data.
|
Wingspan |
210 feet (64 meters) |
|---|---|
|
Three-class capacity |
260-300 |
|
Length |
208 feet 10 in (63.7 meters) |
|
Maximum takeoff weight |
553,400 lbs (251,000 kg) |
|
Powerplant |
2 × Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-72 turbofans producing 65,000 lbf (289 kN) each |
|
Range |
7,200 nautical miles (13,300 km) |
|
Maximum speed |
Mach 0.86 |
Multiple additional advances were made during the development of the A330neo’s wings. Airbus used 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics for wing visualization, modeling, and optimization. One development was the addition of a CFRP (Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastic) outer span. Airbus claims “the new design results in substantially improved wing loading and the best possible lift-to-drag-ratio.” Flight Global has found that the wingtips and other advances have provided the A330neo with a 4% improvement in fuel efficiency and aerodynamic performance, with the new engines improving efficiency further.
7 Ways Airbus Made The A330neo Different From The Original A330
The A330neo represents progress in seven key areas compared to the older A330ceo.
The A350 Is Significantly Larger Than The A330neo
The A350 has a broader wingspan and larger wingtips primarily because it is a larger aircraft. Measuring 219 feet 2 in (66.8 meters) in length, it is around 10 feet (3.04 meters) longer. The fuselage is also visibly wider. The A350’s external diameter is 19.5 feet (5.9 meters) compared with the A330neo’s 18.5 feet (5.6 meters). Its maximum takeoff weight is also around 70,000 lbs higher, with a higher passenger and belly cargo capacity. As a result, the A350 needs much more lift than the Airbus A330-900 to take to the skies, granted by the extra 2.5 feet in wingspan.
The additional size isn’t just about increasing revenues for airlines. It also boosts passenger comfort. The A350 was designed with 18-inch seats in mind across a 3-3-3 economy class configuration, a decent width for lower-paying passengers. Meanwhile, the narrower A330neo is more suited to an eight-abreast 2-4-2 configuration. The A350 also has specially sculpted sidewalls and vertical cabin walls. That grants the necessary space for passengers with the broadest shoulders.
An additional cabin size opens up new opportunities for carriers’ premium products. A330neo operators are forced to accept tight suites or a staggered layout within the narrower cabin, producing a less competitive product. A350 operators have much more room to play with.
Boeing Has Also Made Winglet And Wingtip Advancements
Airbus’ main rival across the Atlantic has also been working to improve its new jets’ efficiency with developments to their winglets and wingtips. The most radical has been the Boeing 777X’s folding wingtips, whereby the wings’ extremities fold inward while on the ground, and fold out when flying. The folding procedure occurs automatically once the jet reaches 50 knots, meaning the ground crew are not burdened with an additional task. Cockpit indicators confirm that the wingtips are in their desired position. This ingenious design boosts the 777X’s wingspan, necessary for the aircraft’s enormous bulk to take off and fly, while giving the jet more flexibility for the airports it can operate at.
The necessary wingspan on a fixed wing would lead the jet to exceed gate and taxiway limits at many airports. This was one of the issues facing the Airbus A380, restricting it to use for outdated hub-to-hub operations.
It will be fascinating to see if Airbus and other manufacturers can incorporate folding wingtips into their future aircraft should the design prove popular once the Boeing 777X is finally operational. It could be a path to flying larger jets with a greater range without forcing airports to upgrade their infrastructure.
