The Natio
nal Research Council recently released a study concluding that adding “winglets,” those near-vertical wing tip extensions, to most cargo aircraft could save the Air Force millions of dollars in fuel costs, reports Stars and Stripes. The Air Force’s newest airlifter, the C-17 has winglets, but the NRC recommended more research to see if modifying them slightly would enhance fuel savings. It recommended adding winglets to KC-135 and KC-10 tankers and to the C-5 airlifter.
Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said the service must improve its readiness in his first public remarks as Air Force Chief of Staff, made during a ceremony marking his ascension to the service’s top job Nov. 18.
