Abstract: This invention discloses a method to break down, destabilize, or destroy an in flight wake vortex shed from an aircraft's wing. The wingtip has a winglet mounted to an extremity of the wing, and means for actuating displacement of the winglet relative to the wing. The winglet is displaced from a stationary position, in which the in flight wake vortex is stable, to a continuous moving condition, in which the winglet is displaced to a secondary temporary stationary position, remote from the initial stationary position, and having any angle relative to a plane extending through a vertical, longitudinal, or lateral axis of the aircraft to alter the winglet's angle of attack, and persisting in the moving condition as long as required to break down, destabilize or destroy the in flight wake vortex. The invention includes a wingtip arrangement for use in the method and an aircraft including the wingtip arrangement.

Abstract: This invention discloses a wingtip (10) arrangement for an aircraft wing comprising at least one winglet (12) movably mountable to an extremity (16) of the wing (14); and actuating means (18) connected to the winglet for actuating in use displacement of the winglet relative to the wing thereby altering the winglet's angle of attack and displacing same from an initial stationary position in which an in flight wake vortex shed from the wing is stable to a moving condition, in which the winglet is displaced to any selectable angle relative to a plane extending through a vertical, longitudinal, or lateral axis of the aircraft, to destabilize said in flight wake vortex. The invention extends to an aircraft including the wingtip arrangement and a method of reducing in flight wake vortices in which the wingtip arrangement is actuated and displaced to destabilize an in flight wake vortex shed from an extremity of an aircraft's wing.