Missing winglet on a 737NG?

[Peppermint]

Not too sure if I was just seeing things today, but at around lunch time a 737NG flew over on finals to NZCH, had a look and noticed there was a winglet on the right wing, but not on the left....has anyone heard anything about it? Or was I just seeing things.... ?

[2fst4u]

must have been seing things. not having a winglet on one side would create slightly more drag on the winglet-less side would it not? making the one winglet pointless due to the extra power required to keep it flying in a certain direction (if it is rolling slightly to maintain heading, there will be less lift force directly up, and more to the side. more power would be required to compensate for that lack).

arent winglets actually replacment wing-tips anyway? sounds a bit silly to go through all that trouble to remove/add one and not to the other

[bennz]

If a winglet falls off it won't have as much impact as it seems. It has been few cases that the plane landed safely when the winglet fell off or was cut off ( There is a episode of Air Crash Investigation that a Learjet winglet cut through a 737 and the Learjet landed safely , Correct me if I am wrong )

They wouldn't install one winglet only. Maybe it was a visual mistake or something happened to the other winglet ?!

[2fst4u]

im not denying it could fall off and not be dangerous to the flight, but it wouldnt be deliberate is all. and if it did fall off, we'd probably hear about it.

[SA227]

It's quite possible there was only one winglet, the aircraft are certified to fly with just one. Obviously one winglet is removed for some reason normally because it got damaged but that doesn't prevent the airline operating the aircraft. There will be take off weight and fuel burn penalties.
If you go to somewhere like airliners.net you'll find quite a few pictures of aircraft flying with just one winglet.

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE

the airline operating the aircraft. There will be take off weight and fuel burn penalties.
If you go to somewhere like airliners.net you'll find quite a few pictures of aircraft flying with just one winglet.[/quote]
Cant help myself here ... the idea to take the winglet off on one side is to help ingress into tight traffic patterns .. winglet on .. winglet off .. winglet on , depends on your radials into the airport approach , make up your mind before takeoff , its very difficult to change inflight .

[bennz]

QUOTE (SA227 @ Aug 1 2009, 10:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's quite possible there was only one winglet, the aircraft are certified to fly with just one. Obviously one winglet is removed for some reason normally because it got damaged but that doesn't prevent the airline operating the aircraft. There will be take off weight and fuel burn penalties.
If you go to somewhere like airliners.net you'll find quite a few pictures of aircraft flying with just one winglet.

I have never seen in my life an aeroplane flies on one winglet intentionally !? If the winglet is damaged before take off , pilot has to taxi back to parking spot for inspection.