Why The Wings Of The Boeing 787 Are Curved

Simple Flying

By Jake Hardiman

Published Nov 8, 2020

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 10: Qantas flight number QF787, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft taking off at Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport on October 10, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. With international and domestic border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic putting a halt on travel, the Qantas Great Southern Land Scenic flight will take 150 passengers on an aerial tour over iconic Australian destinations. The seven-hour scenic flight on board a Qantas 787 Dreamliner aircraft - usually used for long haul international flights - will perform a loop from Sydney up to locations along the New South Wales and Queensland coasts as well as Uluru in the Northern Territory before landing back in Sydney. (Photo by David Gray#JM/Getty Images)

The curved wings of the Boeing 787 are one of the type's most iconic features. They render the 'Dreamliner' easily recognizable compared to Boeing's older single-deck widebody aircraft, such as the 767 and 777. But what are the reasons for this striking design?

Working towards a greater operational range

One of the Boeing 787's greatest selling points for its operators is its very long operational range. Indeed, earlier this week, Australian flag carrier used one of its 11 787-9 aircraft to operate multiple non-stop flights from London Heathrow to Darwin, in the country's Northern Territory. The airline's London-Australia flights typically have to make a stop in Singapore.

The Dreamliner's range is slightly different among its three variants. According to Boeing, the figures are as follows:

787-8 - 7,305 NM (13,530 km)
787-9 - 7,530 NM (13,950 km)
787-10 - 6,345 NM (11,750 km)

These statistics are the culmination of extensive research and development by the American manufacturer, which resulted in numerous fuel-saving factors. One of these is the aircraft's striking, curved wing design.

Water-canon-salutes-getty — A Qantas jet brushes of a salute in 2018. Photo: Getty Images

Designed for optimized fuel efficiency

The Boeing 787's curved wings mean that wing flex is a clearly visible phenomenon. While it may look unusual or even disconcerting to see so much vertical wing movement, there is a good reason for allowing this to occur. Boeing states that the Dreamliner's fly-by-wire technology:

"...optimizes the shape (or 'camber') of the wing automatically to save the most fuel. During cruise, the wing trailing edge automatically adjusts upward and downward to continually optimize the camber for maximum efficiency."

This technology also minimizes the effect of turbulence that may otherwise cause a disturbance to passengers. It is not just the shape of the wing that optimizes the 787's performance, but also the materials from which they are constructed. To this end, Boeing states that:

"The use of composite materials in the wing structure allows the 787 wing to have a higher aspect ratio (the square of the wing span divided by the wing area) than previous aircraft."

The result of these various features is something of a perfect combination for the Dreamliner's operators. Due to its abundance of technology, it can fly faster than its predecessors, while consuming less fuel.

Air Europa 787-9 Getty — Recent state aid to Air Europa means that the Spanish government plans on having a say in the deal. Photo: Getty Images

Removal of the need for winglets

The swept-back nature of the Boeing 787's curved wings results in the aircraft having what are known as 'raked wingtips.' This also functions as an alternative option to winglets. Once again, this feature also contributes to increases in both fuel efficiency and, consequently, operational range. This to the subsequent reduction in aerodynamic drag caused by vortices that develop as the wingtips cut through the air.

Boeing's next widebody project, the next-generation 777X (which will also boast folding wingtips), is also set to have its wings swept back in such a manner, albeit at a lesser angle. The Airbus A350 is another airliner whose wings boast a similar sweep angle to the Dreamliner that it was designed by the European manufacturer to compete with.

Boeing 777X test flight getty images — The 777X will become a major part of the fleet. Emirates has 115 on order, and delivery is due from 2022. Photo: Getty Images

The future of wing design seems set to continue to develop in a fascinating manner, as manufacturers continue to strive for optimized fuel efficiency. Boeing is even looking to re-write the rulebook with its Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) airliner. It will certainly be interesting to see how wing technology will evolve in years to come.

What are your thoughts? Let us know what you think in the comment section?