Originally Posted by
Chesty Morgan
No, because you've shortened the horizontal span of the wing (the lift producing area), although it would have less drag than a wing of the same span without winglets.
Letīs have a look of what the wingtips and winglets do, then:
A wingtip extension adds lift and improves L/D ratio. But the extra lift, with long leverage, requires extra wing strength. Even if the plane is slowed so that the total lift stays unchanged at the gross weight, the extra leverage requires mor wing strength.
Whereas a winglet generates no lift, and improves L/D ratio by decreasing drag.
Correct?