Experimental Study of Vortex Shapes behind a Wing Equipped with Different Winglets

An extensive experimental study is conducted to examine effects of different winglet-shapes and orientations on the vortex behind a wing, static surface pressure over the wing, and wing wake of a swept wing at various angles of attack. Four types of winglets, spiroid (forward and aft), blended, and winggrid are used in this investigation. Wing static surface pressure measurements are obtained for both chordwise and spanwise, as well as the wake profiles at various angles of attack using the aforementioned winglets. The data are compared with those of the wing without winglet, bare wing. The results show that addition of winglets change the flowfield over and around the wing significantly. Furthermore, it is found that certain winglet configurations improve both the wake and the wing pressure distribution. The total pressure in the wake of the model varies drastically when the wing is equipped with winglets. Keywords: Winglets, Pressure Distribution, Induced Drag, Spiroid Winglet, Turbulator.