Airbus claims that shark-fin-inspired wing-tip devices on its A320 aircraft will help them use less fuel, carry more weight, climb higher at a faster rate and produce less emissions and noise.
The ‘Sharklet’ large wing-tip devices will be fitted on 14 A320s built for Air New Zealand by the end of 2012. It is hoped that other A320 models will be built and fitted with the devices by 2013.
Airbus claims that the Sharklets will reduce fuel burn by 3.5 per cent and annually reduce CO2 emissions by 700 tonnes, compared to current aircraft.
Alan Pardoe, head of product marketing for A320, explained that the Sharklets act like an extension of the wing in the vertical plane.
‘In general aerodynamic terms, the greater the wing span the higher the aspect ratio and the greater the aerodynamic efficiency,’ he said, adding that the Sharklets reduce drag by minimising the vortex at the end of the wing.
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