It seems that everywhere I look these days, everyone is using the little vanes. What is the advantage of these? I would think they would do less of a job stabilizing arrow flight than longer vanes. Is it for speed?

I can't answer your question directly, but I can give you a reson why I hunt with longer vanes - for what it's worth...

I only hunt (no need for fancy gizmos or therories or lightening speeds).

I find that the repeatability and convenience of a wisker bisquit (fancy gizmo that works!) is respectable out to 30 yards, which happens to be the longest shot I care to take at an animal. I like the longer vanes (5") as the vanes sit inside the wiskers just enough not to rattle around. I shoot a bow at 230fps (arguably laughable in todays standars) but my "tag rack" continues to grow with this SLOW BOW and LONG VANES

i always shot standard 4 inch when i was younger and after a few shots into the ground or pass throughs in a target mine would start to rip. i feel blazers last longer and i use quikshrink fletchings which are even more durable than just vanes IMO

mainly for speed and better arrow flight. technology is so far advanced these days.

The little vanes are primarily used for 3D, I don't think many people are/or should be using them for hunting...

Depends what your definition of "little" is. I think there are a ton of people hunting with Blazers and the like. It's the fact that they have a high profile that they can still steer BHs.

Not sure what your definition of little is, but I'm hunting with fixed blades and 3" vanes. Advancements in bows, technology, string sets, broadheads, arrows, and tools to work on archery equipment are at the ready in todays archery hunting world, so why shoot a 4" vane if it's not needed?

small vanes are made for target shooting mainly..they work best with field tips so theyre addiquite for stability.i beleive your shooting will suffer with any kind of hunting head. todays bows are so fast that it might be a 4 inch vane would affect the way it shoots where a small vane would clear without hitting the rest.i shoot a 4 inch vane but then again i use a fall away rest,,and my bow isnt anywhere neer 350fps.

the blazers are stiffer and tougher/won't wrinkle and will stabilize fixed broadheads just fine.
Seems like every time some one complains about wavy vanes with the WB, the vanes are always 4". The blazers hold up even if shot into a foam target and pulled all the way through the target. Haven't seen a 4" not get wavy from that kind of abuse.

You couldn't be more wrong my friend. What he is refering to as "little vanes" are called "blazers". I shoot them and after going to the blazer from the longer vanes (or even feathers) I saw a drastic improvement in my arrow flight as well as having a lighter arrow weight to give me added speed.