UNIT 71

THEORY OF FLIGHT

OUTCOME 02
CONTROL SURFACES & LIFT AUGMENTATION DEVICES

WEEK # 07
CONTROLS & CONTROLLABILITY (CONTD.)

CONTENTS:

7.1 INTRODUCTION – LIFT AUGMENTATION DEVICES.

7.2 TRAILING EDGE FLAPS
7.3 LEADING EDGE FLAPS
7.4 SPOILERS, AIR BRAKES, DIVE BRAKES, LIFT DUMPERS
7.5 SLATS AND SLOTS

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Outcome 2 Unit level: 3 15-02-2008
Week 7 THEORY OF FLIGHT 71 Page {
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7.1. INTRODUCTION- LIFT AUGMENTATION DEVICES
Lift augmentation devices fall into two major categories, trailing and leading edge
flaps and slats and slots. We finish our introduction to control by looking briefly at
these two categories of lift augmentation device.
If an aircraft is to take-off and land in a relatively short distance, its wings must
produce sufficient lift at a much slower speed than in normal cruising flight. It is also
necessary during landing, to have some means of slowing the aircraft down. Both
these requirements can be meet by the use of flaps and slats or a combination of
both.
Flaps are essentially moving wing sections which increase wing camber and
therefore angle of attack. In addition, in some cases, the effective wing area is also
increased. Dependent on type and complexity flap systems are capable of increasing
CLmax by up to approximately 90% of the clean wing value.
Flaps also greatly increase the drag on the wings thus slowing the aircraft down.
Thus on take-off, flaps are partially deployed and the increase in drag is overcome
with more thrust, while on landing they are fully deployed for maximum effect.
7.2. TRAILING EDGE FLAPS
There are many types of trailing edge flaps and a few of the more common types are
described below.
The plain flap (Figure 7.1) is normally retracted to form a complete section of
trailing edge, and hinged downward in use.

Figure 7.1: Plain flap

The split flap (Figure 7.2) is formed by the hinged lower part of the trailing edge
only. When the flap is lowered the top surface is unchanged thus eliminating airflow
breakaway which occurs over the top surface of the plain flap at large angles of
depression.

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Outcome 2 Unit level: 3 15-02-2008
Week 7 THEORY OF FLIGHT 71 Page {
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 Figure 7.2: Split flap

Figure 7.3: Slotted flap

Figure 7.4: Double slotted Fowler flap

During the operation of the slotted flap, a gap or slot is formed between the wing and
flap (Figure 7.3).
Air flows through the gap from the lower surface and over the top surface of the flap.
This increases lift by speeding up the airflow. This more energetic laminar flow
Unit Name Unit No Unit value: 1 Issue Date
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Week 7 THEORY OF FLIGHT 71 Page {
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remains in contact with the top surface of the flap for longer delaying boundary layer
separation and maintaining a high degree of lift.
The Fowler flap (Figure 7.4) is similar to the split flap but this type of flap moves
rearwards as well as downwards on tracks, creating slots, if more than one fowler is
connected as part of the system. Thus, both wing camber and wing area are
increased.
In the blown flap (Figure 7.5), air bled from the engines is ducted over the top
surface of the flap to mix with and re-energize the existing airflow.
.

Figure 7.5: Blown flap

Figure 7.6 shows the trailing edge flap system of a Boeing 747-400, in the deployed
position. This system is a multi-slotted Fowler combination, which combines and
enhances the individual attributes of the slotted flap and fowler flap, greatly
enhancing lift

Unit Name Unit No Unit value: 1 Issue Date

Outcome 2 Unit level: 3 15-02-2008
Week 7 THEORY OF FLIGHT 71 Page {
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Figure 7.6: Trailing edge multi-slotted Fowler flap system on Boeing 747-400.

7.3. LEADING EDGE FLAPS

As mentioned earlier leading edge flaps are used to augment low speed lift
especially on swept wing aircraft. Leading edge flaps further increase the camber
and are normally coupled to operate together with trailing edge flaps. They also
prevent leading edge separation that takes place on thin sharp-edged wings at high
angles of attack. This type of flap is often known as a Kruger flap (Figure 7.7). The
Kruger and other types of nose flap are used mainly for increasing lift for landing
and take-off, on otherwise high-speed aerofoils.

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Week 7 THEORY OF FLIGHT 71 Page {
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 Figure 7.7: Leading edge Kruger flap.

7.4. SPOILERS, AIR BRAKES, DIVE BRAKES, LIFT DUMPERS

Spoilers, air brakes, dive brakes, lift dumpers and suchlike are a special category
in that their main purpose is to increase drag, or to destroy lift, or both; moreover
they need not necessarily be associated with the aerofoils (Figure 7.8).
They are used for various purposes on different types of aircraft; to spoil the L/D ratio
and so steepen the gliding angle on high-performance sailplanes and other "clean"
aircraft; to check the speed before turning or manoeuvring; to assist both lateral and
longitudinal control; to "kill" the lift and provide a quick pull-up after landing; and
on really high-speed aircraft to prevent the speed from reaching some critical value
as in a dive. They will be considered later as appropriate to their various functions.

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Week 7 THEORY OF FLIGHT 71 Page {
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 Figure 7.8: Speed brakes (By courtesy of Piaggio,Genoa,Italy)

7.5. SLATS AND SLOTS

Slats are small, high cambered aerofoils (Figure 7.9) fitted to the wing leading
edges.

Figure 7.9: The leading edge slat.

When open, slats form a slot between themselves and the wing through which air
from the higher pressure lower surface accelerates and flows over the wing top
surface to maintain lift and increase the stalling angle of the wing. Slats may be
fixed, controlled or automatic.
A slot is a suitably shaped aperture built into the wing structure near the leading
edge (Figure 7.10).

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 Figure 7.10:
Wing-tip slots

Slots guide and accelerate air from below the wing and discharge it over the upper
surface to re-energize the existing airflow. Slots may be fixed, controlled, automatic
or blown.
In Figure 7.11 a typical leading and trailing edge lift enhancement system is
illustrated. This system consists of a triple-slotted Fowler flap at the trailing edge,
with a slat and Kruger flap at the leading edge. This combination will significantly
increase the lift capability of the aircraft.

Figure 7.11: Modern aircraft lift enhancement.

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Unit Name Unit No Unit value: 1 Issue Date

Outcome 2 Unit level: 3 15-02-2008
Week 7 THEORY OF FLIGHT 71 Page {
Core unit:
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