Blended Winglets

[Alloa Akbar]

Seem to be flavour of the month in these fuel saving times, now there are even split winglets or the Spiroid double blended winglets on the Falcon 50, so my question (Apologies if it sounds stupid.. haven't been in actual aircraft engineering for ten years now).. would there be a benefit to fitting blended winglets to Horizontal stabilisers? If not, why not.. surely they must create similar drag conditions at the tip to the main wing?

Just curious..

[B Fraser]

A very logical idea Mr Akbar, the "winglet" would have to be upside down of course. What makes more sense is a canard configuration so that all lifting surfaces are acting against gravity. If you are really clever then the tip vortex from the canard can generate lift as it passes over the main wing.

Apologies if I am talking bolleaux of course.

[Alloa Akbar]

BF - I was thinking more along the lines of post production design changes rather than new aircraft concepts. I'm a rotary wing man myself, so apart from standard TOF stuff, I'm a bit light in this area of FW design.

[Mechta]

Would it be fair to say that as the tailplane has to generate maximum force when manouvering, its loading in cruise is low for its area, so winglets wouldn't be justified? There are plenty of aircraft with twin fins & rudders, which although not blended, do give an end plate effect.

On modern airliners, reduced stability and tailplane trim tanks appear to be the preferred route.

[EngineOut]

With a well positioned CoG, either through careful loading of the aircraft or with the use of trim tanks, there will be little load on the stabilizer. So the added weight and complexity would not justify the addition of stabilizer winglets.

[cwatters]

Ditto one on the fin :-)