Maxfly From Austria, joined Oct 2003, 64 posts, RR: 0 Posted (9 months 1 week 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 2779 times:
Hi,, just a basic question, just flew on a LH 744 from FRA to SFO and I noticed upon boarding that the left winglet was missing...otherwise it as a smooth ride but it got me wondering whether that is such a common occurance or minor technical issue that they can keep the plane in service. On a side note: the plane looked so clean from the outside as if it had just got out of maintenance.... Thanks for any expert view on that.
Markus
Nwab787techops From United States, joined Feb 2006, 209 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (9 months 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 2742 times:
Quoting Maxfly (Thread starter): Hi,, just a basic question, just flew on a LH 744 from FRA to SFO and I noticed upon boarding that the left winglet was missing...otherwise it as a smooth ride but it got me wondering whether that is such a common occurance or minor technical issue that they can keep the plane in service. On a side note: the plane looked so clean from the outside as if it had just got out of maintenance.... Thanks for any expert view on that.
Markus
Not common due to the high fuel burn without the winglet. But it can be removed and deferred under a CDL and fly normal service.
SAOAP From Brazil, joined Mar 2005, 168 posts, RR: 3 Reply 3, posted (9 months 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 2635 times:
The plane in question is D-ABTA. As far as I know there's no spare-part available (the wait-list at Boeing seems to be quite long), consequently the plane should be flying like that for a while.
Cheers,
Marcelo
"When it's dark enough, you can see the stars" - Charles A. Beard
Beertrucker From United States, joined exactly 3 years ago today! , 255 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (9 months 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 2636 times:
I was on a USairways flight from MCO to DCA on a A320 a few years ago and it was missing the right winglet. I figure it was the same kinda situation as what you saw.
Jog From Netherlands, joined Jul 2005, 272 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (9 months 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 2074 times:
Quoting Beertrucker (Reply 4): I was on a USairways flight from MCO to DCA on a A320 a few years ago and it was missing the right winglet. I figure it was the same kinda situation as what you saw.
Quoting ScrubbsYWG (Reply 7): if you search the photo database searching for 744 and winglet as a keyword there are quite a few examples of this
Also the A332 can cross the Atlantic with only one winglet as LH's newest partner has recently demonstrated:
Requirements:
One may be missing provided the performance limited weights are reduced by the following:
Takeoff Enroute Climb Landing
9435 kg 4536 kg 9435 kg
Apply fuel penalty of 2.5% to the entire mission fuel.
Starlionblue From Greenland, joined Feb 2004, 12935 posts, RR: 57 Reply 12, posted (9 months 1 week 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 1844 times:
Quoting Beertrucker (Reply 4): I was on a USairways flight from MCO to DCA on a A320 a few years ago and it was missing the right winglet. I figure it was the same kinda situation as what you saw.
Except that wasn't a winglet. It was a "gate".
Quoting Jawed (Reply 11): wouldn't that introduce some asymmetric problems during flight? wouldn't constant rudder compensation be necessary to counteract it?
AFAIK the asymmetry is so small as to be negligible. That is, any rudder deflection and such is so small as to not produce noticeable drag. The fuel burn penalty from the missing winglet in itself is the "major" issue.
My real self is a Blood Elf Mage in Azeroth. Meet him on Boulderfist.
PhilSquares From Ireland, joined Mar 2004, 3741 posts, RR: 53 Reply 14, posted (9 months 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1800 times:
Quoting Jawed (Reply 11): wouldn't that introduce some asymmetric problems during flight? wouldn't constant rudder compensation be necessary to counteract it?
Tdscanuck From Canada, joined Jan 2006, 3822 posts, RR: 28 Reply 16, posted (9 months 1 week 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 1467 times:
Quoting Ilikeyyc (Reply 15): What work is involved in CDLing a winglet?
Remove the winglet fairings, except the leading and trailing edge fairings, speedtape over the open end of the TE fairing, reduce takeoff and landing weight by 20,800 lbs and reduce enroute climb weight by 10,000 lbs.
Tdscanuck From Canada, joined Jan 2006, 3822 posts, RR: 28 Reply 19, posted (9 months 1 week 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 1343 times:
Quoting Mark5388916 (Reply 17): I assume if you even touch a plane there are lots of paper work Smile At least thats how it seems sometimes....
There is a rarely known physical principal that aluminum and paper repel each other. All this stuff about Bernoulli and circulation is just hogwash...when the weight of the paperwork equals the weight of the aircraft, it will fly.
Ilikeyyc From United States, joined Dec 2003, 1373 posts, RR: 22 Reply 20, posted (9 months 1 week 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 1310 times:
Quoting Tdscanuck (Reply 16): speedtape over the open end of the TE fairing,
Speedtape- wow! I would have assumed that there would be a standard fairing that could be attached over the hole. How big is the opening? How long is the aircraft out of service to perform that work?
CAP2008 From United States, joined May 2007, 217 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (9 months 1 week 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 1301 times:
Quoting Maxfly (Thread starter): it got me wondering whether that is such a common occurance or minor technical issue that they can keep the plane in service.
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