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How to Design Leading Edge Slats

Leading edge slats are used on airplanes and jets to help reduce the distance and velocity needed for landing and takeoff. The slats sit forward of the wings. Because of the Venturi effect, air passing between the slat and the wing speeds up over the wing, giving the plane greater lift at lower speeds. While cruising at altitude, the slats increase drag so they reduce the top speed at which a plane can fly. In commercial planes, leading edge slats can be fixed, the pilot can control them or they can automatically deploy at low speeds while retracting at cruising speeds. In model airplanes, leading edge slats are almost always fixed.

Things You'll Need

Wing design of plane for which slats are designed
Graph paper
Pencil
Ruler
Protractor
Compass

Instructions

- 1
  Look at the slant of the wings that you will design. There are a multitude of tilts and thicknesses you can use to design the slats, but the slant of the slats must mimic that of the wings.
- 2
  Consider the length of the slats. You can make them as long as the wing, itself, or just a third of the length of the wings. If you make them shorter than the wings, make sure you center them on each wing.
- 3
  Plot the thickness you want to use. The flatter the slats, the less drag they will cause when the plane is in flight, but the less additional lift they will give your plane at takeoff.
- 4
  Consider the tilt of the slats. At no point should the slats ever rise higher than the wing. A gentle tilt will help bring more air over the top surface of the wings, which will increase the lift.
- 5
  Plot out the shape of the slats. Remember that the more air you can get to go under the slats then back up over the top surface of the wing, the greater the lift you will get at takeoff and while your plane is climbing. Smooth curves are most aerodynamic.
- 6
  Make vertical struts to attach the leading edge slats to the wing. The connecting slats should be designed to minimize disruption of the air flow between the slats and the wings.

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