A330 Winglets
Ax an ex light aricraft engineer and semi professional SLF (I work to pay the fares) I would like an experts answer to:
Amsterdam,boxing day, KLM 330 minus R/H winglet - L/H in situ. A/C being readied for commercial flight. The winglet looked as it it had been removed engineeringly rather than side swiped - there being no speed tape around that area.
Questions: What, if any, degradation of performance is there?
If it was off on a flight is just one winglet OK as per the MEL?
I often see A330's, more than other a/c, with bits of speed tape in various places (wing leading edges seems a speciality). This is obviously an offically approved 'keep it flying' temporary/more than temporary repair. What sort of size/time restrictions are on these sticky patches.
Thanks to anyone taking the time to unglue my little grey cells and seasons greeting to all