Posted on July 24, 2020 David Sherman
When in flight, maintaining the aerodynamics of an aircraft is extremely important to prevent stalling and maintain lift. In the realm of aviation, stalling refers to when an aircraft loses enough lift to not be able to sustain flight. This is often caused by too great of an angle of attack, referred to as the critical angle of attack, and this may be different on each aircraft. Stalling takes place when the boundary layer of air flow separates from the wing surface, causing lift to be lost. To deter stalling, many aircraft utilize a slat assembly, ensuring that air flow is kept in contact with the wing.
During typical flight conditions, air flow is separated into two paths as it makes contact with the wings. This point in which air moves over and under a wing is referred to as the stagnation point, and this point moves further under the wing as an aircraft increases its angle of attack. This also causes the amount of energy in the air moving above the wing to decrease, eventually producing a separation of air flow. This separation is called the boundary layer separation, and its generation results in the loss of lift. With a slat assembly installed on wings, the boundary layer separation can be combated by increasing the speed of air at the upper surface of the wing, permitting higher angles of attack before stalling begins to set in.
Slats are lift devices that are extendable, placed on the leading edge of wings and on some fixed wing aircraft. They are most optimally used during lower speed operations such as takeoff, approaching, landing, and the initial climb. This minimizes the chance of stalling during these procedures, increasing the surface area and camber of wings through an outward and downwards deployment. Depending on the wing configuration and design of the aircraft, the slat wing assembly may be placed in various positions. The slat assembly of an aircraft is typically extended and retracted through the use of hydraulic and electrically powered actuators, though some simplistic configurations may just rely on aerodynamic forces and springs for operation.
In general, the three types of slat assemblies that are implemented on aircraft include the automatic, fixed, and powered slat. Automatic slats are spring-loaded and are often placed flush with the leading edge of a wing. Such slats are held in place due to the forces of air exerted against them. When the aircraft decreases speed, the compression forces of the springs overtake the forces of aerodynamics, and the slats are opened. With fix slat assemblies, the slat is permanently in an extended position. These types of aircraft slats are most often reserved for specialist low-speed aircraft in which they are referred to as slots, or when there is a need for simplicity over speed. The last slat type, which is the powered slat, is one that may be controlled by the pilot. The powered slat assembly is most common to airliners.
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