A319 engine nacelles

[pvmw]

Travelling back to UK from an Italian wedding last weekend (its tough, but someone has to show willing) in an A319 I found myself in a window seat near the leading edge of the wing and thinking how inconvenient it is that the engines block the view.

For the first time I noticed that on each side of the nacelle near the front is a small fin with "no step" clearly printed on it. Obviously then, not a convenient foothold for a mechanic but what is its purpose? Its not large enough to have any real aerodynamic function that I can think of.

[Wodrick]

Search "A320 engine winglets"

[OzPax1]

Those little wings on the engine are there to control the local boundary airflow between engine to the wing. Essentially they are giving that part of the wing some lift back that it would otherwise lose. I'm sure others with far more knowledge in the subject will elaborate further..but in essence that's it.

[perkin]

Been asked many a time on here about same devices on 737, try a search...

[Mr @ Spotty M]

I think they are called a Chine or something very similar.