Help with slat design

[pylon500]

Technically, what's on a Cadet (and many like it) is a 'SLOT', which is built into the wing.
Slats hang off the front of the wing and can be fixed or retractable.
Not sure how many aircraft can close their slot(s).
Some people opt to delete them on some builds, thinking that the weight saving would equal the effectiveness, Jury's out on that one...
Arthur.

[WLIU]

The slot that you see on airplanes like a Cadet and a Swift are there so that as the airplane enters the stall, you still have some aileron control. Close the slots and the stall behavior of the airplanes get more "exciting". A very experienced pilot might think that is OK, a less experienced pilot might not. The slots add drag so the airplanes go faster with the slots closed.

I will suggest that the average pilot will enjoy these airplanes more with the slots in their factory configuration.

As for airplanes with slats like the Helio and the ME-109, the left and right are not interconnected and they pop out and move back in based on the airflow that speed and AOA present to them. If you get the chance to watch a Helio maneuver at minimum airspeed, watch the slats move in and out. The JAARS guys used to do a great demo at Sun-N-Fun. I have also heard anecdotaly that the ME-109 drivers had to avoid pulling too hard in a turn as they tried to get enough lead on their target to start shooting as the independent action of the left and right slats as the G and AOA loaded up moved the nose of the airplane around and upset their aiming. Someone else likely has more experience with that than I.

Best of luck,

Wes
N78PS

[Max Torque]

Check out the Mackey SQ2 for a very effective and not overly complex LE slat design. The reports from the guys who have flown them are very good - superior performance.

http://supercub.com/aircraft-catalog...eysq2info.html

[redbarron55]

I would guess that most light weight aircraft don't need the complication and weight of slats for their envelope of operations. The slats and other aerodynamic complications are necessary with higher weight aircraft like the Helio Courier.
Many aircraft with normal operations and low horsepower can already land much shorter that they can take off and clear a 50' tree.
The Cessna 150 comes readily to mind here.
In the case of slats on the Zenith the Aussies have modified that bird and left off the slats and say that it performes better without them. Also they say that they do not act as part of the wing in that when removed the CG does not shift forward as expected when the distance to the leading edge is deleted. This indicated that the "area" added by that distance is not effective aerodynamically.
Usually that part which is left off is lighter, cheaper, and more trouble free than those parts installed.