How Do Leading Edge Slats Work?

By Aleks Udris | 02/11/2014 | Previous | Next

bigpresh / Flickr Now Is the Time to Get the PDF Guide

Become an Airline Pilot

Leading edge slots are a great way to increase the critical angle of attack, but they
come with a hefty cruise performance penalty. To overcome the drag pitfalls, engineers
designed slats.

What's the difference? Slats are the same as slots - except they open and close.. In
fact, slots are often called slats - though technically they're a "fixed slat."

Check out the video below. It's a great example of how opening and closing the slat
affects airflow over the wing.

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 Aerodynamics | Airfoil camber, 3aps, slots, slats & drag

Slats are categorized into three types: fixed (a slot), automatic, and powered.

Automatic Slats - Let The Wind Do The Work

Automatic slats open and close aerodynamically. They're not managed by the pilot -
they're managed by airflow.

When air approaches the leading edge of an airfoil, it divides - some flowing over the
top of the wing, and some flowing over the bottom. The spot where the airflow splits is
called the "stagnation point."

When the airfoil's at a low angle of attack, the stagnation point is on the leading edge.
As you can see below, it pushes the slat closed.

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 Boldmethod

When the airfoil is at a high angle of attack, the stagnation point moves below the
leading edge and behind the slat. Air flowing up and over the wing pushes the slat
open.

Boldmethod

Powered - The Modern Slat

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 Powered slats appear on many large aircraft and provide the same benefit of an
automatic slat. However, they're electrically or hydraulically powered - increasing
reliability. The flight crew sets the slat position via cockpit controls. The slats below are
on an MD-80, but the design is found on nearly every airliner. Check it out next time
and during takeoff and landing, and you'll see the same thing.

wbaiv / Flickr

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 Aleks Udris
Aleks is a Boldmethod co-founder and technical director. He's
worked in safety and operations in the airline industry, and was a
flight instructor and course manager for the University of North
Dakota. You can reach him at aleks@boldmethod.com.

Images Courtesy:
Boldmethod, bigpresh / Flickr, bigpresh / Flickr, Boldmethod, wbaiv / Flickr
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