Flaplet - Innovative winglet design with continuous flap for significantly increased aircraft efficiency

The main objective of the project is to increase the performance and reduce the drag of wings for gliders, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), manned aircraft, and wind turbines by using innovative winglets. The innovative winglets have an integrated flap that adapts to the flight conditions, enabling significant drag reduction. The goal is to reduce drag and thus the primary energy consumption of the entire aircraft by 3%. Given that winglets enable a drag reduction of up to 7% compared to planar wings, the efficiency of winglets is increased by 40%. Another key goal is to reduce the ecological footprint in the production of flaplets by 30% compared to previous manufacturing processes for conventional winglets. This is made possible by a drastic reduction in the number of process steps required, thanks to integral film hinges and the use of sustainable and recycled materials for process aids and tooling.