Originally Posted by
caspritz78
Yes technically these are winglets, too. Still the A380 has a wing geometry which doesn't make it necessary to put very large winglets on the ends. If you take a look at the the A380 wing it is bended already. So you only need this little tips at the end unlike the large ones you see on the 737-800 or the retrofitted 767.
Judging from the pictures I have seen, the 787 wing looks very different than the other wings with the tips more steeply raked. (I hope that is the correct terminology.) I guess that extra bit of raking at the end does the same thing as winglets. But, it is interesting to see the evolution of the shape of the wing over time.
I still remember watching the slats on the 727 fold forward from underneath the wing. I think the early generations of the 747 did the same thing, but I don't remember. They look so much more aerodynamic now with the slats sliding forward from their location. I always find it interesting as the slats and flaps are deploying and redeploying that the plane doesn't violently pitch up and down as the amount of lift changes dramatically.