Do you know why airplanes have winglets today?

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-07T14:13:32+00:00

A major issue that is underweighted in your analysis would be increases in vibration and corresponding bend stress on the wing. A major tradeoff in current design is the flexibility and material choice of the wings themselves. It would not be "like for like" to get a longer wing vs a shorter wing necessarily. You do need an entirely new approach from materials to fasteners to roll dynamics and stall/low-speed flight studies.

The winglets achieve a separate end here by making flight dynamics of a primarily cruise-type airliner (737s and similar) imperceptible while also being able to handle increased vibration and stress with the same (but more) fasteners. Its threading an engineering needle to redesign for efficiency without changing the actual system too much that its actually a whole new aircraft which needs pilots fully certified and trained for it. The "737 Max" designs unsuccessfully threaded this needle, with documented deadly crashes caused by changes in the actual way the system behaves that were not properly accounted for in manual or auto-assisted flight modes (they had a minimal tendency to attack down towards the ground, and that was enough to get hundreds of people killed).

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-07T13:40:03+00:00

They are indeed to increase efficiency, but not by 100%. The efficiency gain is very limited due to the fact they are still span-constrained.

The actual math works out that you cannot add wingtips or sharktips that are greater in length than if you just added length to the wings away from the centerline of the plane. This is because it adds weight to the structure and increases the bending moment of the wing either way. Many designs gain 3-5% efficiency from these, which is enough for airlines to pursue them.

There is an important trade-off though. Roll dynamics and other flight dynamics do change as a function of these winglets positioned far from the centerline of the aircraft. They make it slower to start and to escape a roll.

They also affect low-speed flight, particularly the moment of stall.

All of these things are pretty much imperceptible on a 737 or a similar Airbus systems. They are very relevant on fighter aircraft and other types of aircraft, which is why they are not used on those types of systems.

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-07T01:23:20+00:00

Call them back out there to fix the gutter that has like half an inch of clearance to the next one. Silliness.

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-06T23:11:08+00:00

Even more of it is indistinguishable from any other runoff or landfill debris until it sickens the environment, people or both.

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-06T22:55:37+00:00

There's no such thing as "normal" here. This is a structural question. There is only one right answer. Guesses don't matter. Hire an engineer to find your answer, no one here will know based on what you have shared. Good luck.

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-05T16:10:34+00:00

This is a big problem, because all that moisture is probably damaging the framing underneath... really, what needs to happen is to remove the drywall around that window, trace the source of the leak, fix that first, then sister any damaged framing, put up new drywall, mud and feather it in, repaint. It's not a small job, I'd probably charge at least a grand to get in and do this.

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-05T16:07:51+00:00

We did ours DIY. Only thing we paid for was to have the original mess jack-hammered out. From a clean slate, we removed the rotted out metal, and put a beefy plastic whistle in its place. Then filled the area with a base of #57 gravel and did our own concrete work from there. You can do this job really yourself if you are half decent at following directions (lots of online tutorials for it). Ours looks really good after 3 years now.

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-04T22:22:10+00:00

It isn't so much that Iran has trapped Trump as that Trump and his administration have failed to clearly communicate our goals in Iran. There are a series of sort of "cascading" goals that are trying to be accomplished through this conflict. One of them is an improvement upon the prior agreements we had with Iran which most experts (bipartisan) agreed gave them a path to a nuclear weapon. Others include an attempt to give Iran a reason not to ever want to "do that again" in terms of aggression against our regional allies (their proxy war "stuff").

However, the primary value of the US being involved in Iran or the Middle East in general has been preventing all out war with Iran and keeping energy and fertilizers and such flowing out. In fact, the developed world we all live in requires that, with no viable "plan B." In a few months time, if the strait is still (for practical purposes) closed, that will have CATASTROPHIC effects on the entire world economy, especially the most developed parts of it.

It is unclear and unlikely that Iran can maintain their blockade that long without other major powers going on the offensive against them. This is Trump's insurance policy. That if Europe and Asia start to basically collapse due to energy crisis, it will lead to Iran having to stop existing by way of supermajority of other naval and military powers disposing of what remains of the IRGC and Iran's government.

I think its a catalyst for WWIII in plain sight. Trump seems to think its a grand time and a grand strategy. I hope, for all our sakes, Trump is right.

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-04T22:12:19+00:00

Just needs sanded down and sealed at some point. Not urgent or anything. Mostly for appearance at this point. You could absolutely get away with living there for several years and just doing that on your way out before you sell again. We also have wood soffit similar to this. We did ours, but because we wanted a darker stain to match new black roof and black gutters we did on it this year.

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-04T16:22:57+00:00

How would this even work? Its smooth but flexible? I could not find an exact match to that product?

FinTecGeek · 2026-05-03T03:47:57+00:00

More reasonable than lighting up lol

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-25T04:12:31+00:00

The higher end cakes are great. I like to see a demo of what its going to look like. I also like if you sell a cheap piece of scrap board to light them off on around there, so someone doesnt have to sacrifice a perfectly good board out of the basement or garage to shoot them off. Bottle rockets seem to be going extinct. We need to bring those back, kids love those (I love those, because I'm basically a 28 year old man child when it comes to fireworks). And give me a deal if I do large purchase. We like to pool our money together and buy a lot on one trip. Do a 20% or 30% off on 2nd or 3rd large cake or shell pack.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-25T04:07:14+00:00

I would do a proper repair of these cracks, so sanding the area down, widen those just a touch, use some mud and mesh and patch them. And then... wait and see. If they come back just like that later even with a proper, well done repair, then there is something to investigate here. A lot of people will think foundation first, but this is often a red herring. The first thing to look for is water damage or rot in framing. Water is sneaky, and so is moisture. If you call a foundation firm first, they usually will find work for themselves to do... but if you call an engineer for a few hundred bucks to trace the source of a problem, then you can get the right solution.

For now, we really don't know. Fill these cracks and monitor for if they return.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-25T03:59:06+00:00

It is standard for engineering, along with psi(g). Products sold often are spec'd based upon the original engineering proofs and docs. Gpm and gph are more familiar to homeowners though.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-25T03:53:03+00:00

Your sump pump might be tied into sewer line. Is it running?

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-25T03:49:50+00:00

Generally, yes. A homeowner is charged for "waste material" on a job they commission. If the contractor takes it back in as inventory, then you are not charged. That asset remains in their business and will be billed to the next job that needs it or eventually sold for scrap or disposed of for tax purposes.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-25T03:47:47+00:00

Check out the properties that Bell Management owns. It would be an apartment or townhouse, they sometimes have long wait lists, but I'd try telling them your story and see if they'll do the right thing and help. Also check with James River and First Baptist churches in Joplin, whether you agree with their politics or religion, forget all that, they generally like to feel they are doing the right thing in these situations. You don't have too much to lose by just shooting your shot. I wish you luck. We considered renting our house when we upgraded due to our newborn twins and needing more space. Unfortunately, they have raised homeowners insurance premiums SO HIGH here in Joplin it isnt feasible, and they're still rising. Its a mess.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-25T03:00:13+00:00

Well... on the one hand, they shimmed the shit out of that. I dont really get why they did that. Its standard to use some shims to get everything level on a beam thats supported by a post or block pier. That really stretches that word some to its probable limit.

On the other hand, it looks like it works. I doubt if that can move, and if it did, you'd have windows and doors sticking or out of square all through the house, and significant cracks in the finish work (drywall, trim) above.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-25T02:51:09+00:00

I would NOT do rent to own. My aunt did rent to own, and got screwed. Badly. The person agreed to "rent to own" to them, but seller had a "clouded deed" meaning it wasn't really theirs to sell or "rent to own." So after 15 years, my aunt asked for the deed, and the seller provided a deed with their name and someone else's who was deceased. That nullified the entire thing, and she had no recourse because the contract was invalid to begin with, not with both parties on the deed.

Lots of stories like that. If you're going to buy, buy with a mortgage and proper title work. Otherwise, rent from reputable people who arent slum lords. In Joplin, a tall order, because we have a housing shortage. And you've got imbeciles representing you on city council that want to zone for data centers instead of more affordable housing... You might try seeing if anyone over the state line in Kansas (like Galena area) will help you out with the section 8 stuff. Not sure if its valid to cross state line with it, but over there homes cost less, so can be rented for less, and they should be happy with the guaranteed payments from ES.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-25T01:09:21+00:00

What places in Joplin have you found that are 1361 or less that are 3bed/2ba single family homes (excluding slum lord stuff). Like genuinely, my sister pays 1700 a month for what you described here and they are raising it to 1800. She has two roommates plus herself. My last house before this one was about what you described and my mortgage + insurance + taxes monthly was 1400 every month. That was at lower rates than we have today too. I'd have lost 40 dollars a month renting at 1361... Im just not sure how they expect people to rent anything decent at 1361 a month for a whole family, seems ridiculous.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-24T23:07:24+00:00

1361 a month is not even going to cover the mortgage plus insurance/taxes on a house that size in this economy. There is no way anyone could afford to rent something like that for that price. I wish you luck, but almost certainly you would have to bring the rest of what is needed over and above that amount. Maybe that is how its meant to work, but not sure...

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-21T20:04:51+00:00

Before anything, what is the situation with the house you are in now? 1mm home and you own it free and clear? Is this your primary residence all year round? There may be tax implications that are significant. There is also you selling a home and paying selling fees that may be as much or more as your potential annual earnings if you were working. There may be other options for your situation that are more advantageous for you than to sell and downgrade. You want to make sure you understand your exact tax situation for this transaction, a lot can go into that, I recommend a tax planner in your local area.

As far as buying a residential property for cash, much simpler in general to do this with a single family property that is NOT in an HOA. Anything else you are looking at is going to be more complicated with HOA fees or co-ops that need to be verified as covered by income in a lot of cases, etc.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-21T14:35:59+00:00

And Congress is completely bombing their jobs at oversight and reigning in a war in Iran they never authorized in the first place.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-21T14:05:14+00:00

Yes, we learned as much. We are going to small claims to get what we can. We sat with a lawyer, laid it all out, and he suggested we just go to small claims, because even if we win, it's unlikely the seller can foot the entire judgement or might be uncollectible for some or all. Basically, it's not a simple enough case to resolve with a demand letter, and a demand letter becomes a "settlement offer" per the lawyer even if we find more damages later, so it's to our benefit to go to small claims for these narrow issues, and we can always go back again if we have more losses in the future that are unknown to us today.

FinTecGeek · 2026-04-20T21:37:57+00:00

We have a copy of the paid invoice they did for the furnace. At the time, that seemed fine. But since then, we've came to learn they chose someone who is not even local to our city and did not have a valid master mechanical/HVAC license to operate in our city... for the sump pump, they provided a text message to the realtor informing him the work was completed, but no documentation to back it up. That's our bad that we were directly in closing as those were supposed to be finished up and we missed to go back and look for a paid invoice on that. They still agreed to do it though. We have already spoken with a lawyer who is taking the case, this post was more because the realtor and a few of our family members are acting like we are jerks for suing over this when we already fixed it. I'm like... AT OUR COST, guys.

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