What are the pointy things on airplane wings?

Ever wondered what those rods sticking out of the trailing edge of an aircraft wing are? Some might think they are aerials or sensors, but actually, they are a lot simpler than that. These are called static wicks, and they are fundamental to safe flying.



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These sections of an aircraft wing are called winglets. “A winglet is an additional structural component of a wing structure with the primary function of reducing wingtip vortex, which is produced due to the pressure difference between the upper and lower surface of a wing while an aircraft is moving.”

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Fighter planes have delta wings or triangular wings because it improves maneuverability significantly. Fighter planes are designed for performance and maneuverability. Whereas passenger jets (eg. Boeing 737,777etc) are designed for stability and efficiency.

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From a practical point, no, a modern airliner will not lose a wing due to turbulence. Modern airlines are very tough and designed to withstand extreme turbulence. In theory, it might be possible. But to my knowledge, it has not happened to any jet airliner.

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While turbulence can feel scary, airplanes are designed to withstand massive amounts of it. A plane cannot be flipped upside-down, thrown into a tailspin, or otherwise flung from the sky by even the mightiest gust or air pocket, wrote pilot Patrick Smith on his site, AskThePilot.com.

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The most important thing to know is that turbulence isn't dangerous. It might be a bit uncomfortable, but your plane is built to handle the worst. Even in the most severe turbulence, your plane isn't moving nearly as much as you think! Much of how we experience turbulence is subjective.

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