The risk all of us in aviation focus on is flying safety, and that is paramount. But there is another major risk to consider, and that is the chance that a new design will not actually be an improvement. That’s why evolutionary airplanes have enjoyed such success,and none more so than the Hawker 125 line of business jets that traces its roots back to 1962. Now, with winglets to add range and climb performance, and an advanced Collins Pro Line 21 cockpit, the Hawker 850XP delivers more of what pilots and passengers have loved about the airplane for 44 years, and the improvements are risk free. The Hawker is joining a growing line of jets to sprout winglets, and they all have the same objective – to make the wing behave as though it were longer. In general, the longer the wingspan, the more efficient and lower drag it will be at typical airspeeds. That’s why the most efficient of airplanes – gliders – have such long and slender wings. A long wing will climb more quickly and have lower drag at high altitude cruise.
However, as with all things in airplane design, there is a tradeoff when wingspan grows. Each increment of wingspan lengthening increases the bending loads on the wing root, and thus requires more structural strength to carry the loads. The issue is a matter of leverage. For example, if you hold your driver at the end of the grip, it will feel heavy. Pick up the same golf club near the center of the shaft, and it feels lighter. Your hand is absorbing the increased bending moment of the full length of the club shaft.
