PURPOSE OF HIGH LIFT DEVICES
• Aircraft are fitted with high lift devices to reduce the take-off and
landing distances.
• This permits operation at greater weights from given runway
AEE214- lengths and enables greater payloads to be carried.
TAKE-OFF AND LANDING SPEEDS
INTRODUCTION TO AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE The take-off and landing distances depend on the speeds required
WEEK 10 at the screen, and these are laid down in the performance
regulations.
High Lift Devices
For both take-off and landing, one of the requirements is for a safe
margin above the stalling speed (1.2 VS1 for take-off and 1.3 VS0 for
landing).
The stalling speed is determined by the CLmax of the wing, and so to
obtain the lowest possible distances, the CLmax, must be as high as
Dr. Serhat YILMAZ possible.
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CLMAX AUGMENTATION FLAPS
• One of the main factors which determine the CLmax of an • A flap is a hinged portion of the trailing or leading edge which
aerofoil section is the camber. can be deflected downwards and so produce and increase of
camber.
• It has been shown that increasing the camber of an aerofoil • For low speed airfoils the flaps will be on the trailing edge only,
section increases the CL at all angles of attack and increases but on high speed aerofoils where the leading edge may be
CLmax. symmetrical or have a negative camber, there will usually be
flaps on both the leading edge and the trailing edge.
• For take-off and landing a cambered section is desirable, but
this would give high drag at cruising speeds and require a
very nose down attitude.
• It is usual to select a less cambered aerofoil section to
optimize cruise and modify the section for take of and
landing by the use of flaps. 3 4
PLAIN FLAP SPLIT FLAP
• The plain flap, illustrated below, has a simple • The flap forms part of the lower surface of the wing trailing edge,
construction and gives a good increase in CLMAX, although the upper surface contour being unaffected when the flap is
lowered.
with fairly high drag.
• It is used mainly on low speed aircraft and where very
short take-off and landing is not required.
• The split flap gives about the same increase in lift as the plain flap
at low angles of attack, but gives slightly more at higher angles as
the upper surface camber is not increased and so separation is
delayed. The drag however is higher than for the plain flap due to
the increased depth of the wake.
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SLOTTED AND MULTIPLE SLOTTED
THE FOWLER FLAP
FLAPS
• When the slotted flap is lowered a slot or gap is opened between the flap • The Fowler flap, moves rearwards and then down, giving an increase in
and the wing. wing area as well as increase in camber. The Fowler flap may be slotted.
• Because of the combined effects of increased area and camber, the
• The purpose of the slot is to direct higher pressure air from the lower surface Fowler flap gives the greatest increase in lift of the flaps considered, and
over the flap and re-energize the boundary layer. also gives the least drag because of the slot and the reduction of the
• This delays the separation of the airflow on the upper surface of the flap. thickness/chord ratio.
• The slotted flap gives a bigger increase in CLmax than the plain or split flap • However the change of pitching moment is greater because of the
and much less drag, but has a more complex construction. rearward extension of the chord.
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COMPARISON OF TRAILING EDGE COMPARISON OF TRAILING EDGE
FLAPS FLAPS
• It should be noted however that the different types of • The variation of the lift increments with increasing flap
flap do not all give their greatest increase in lift at the angle are reducing as the flap angle increases, and that
same flap angle. beyond some optimum flap angle the increments
decrease.
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CLmax AND STALLING ANGLE LIFT/DRAG RATIO
• With the flap lowered CLMAX is increased, but the stalling • Lowering flap increases both the
angle is reduced. This is because lowering the flap lift and the drag, but not in the
increases the effective angle of attack. same proportion.
• Although the lift is the larger
force, the proportional increase in
the drag is greater, and so the
lift/drag ratio decreases.
• The maximum lift/drag ratio
occurs where the tangent from
the origin of the drag polar
touches the curve, and the slope
of the tangent is the lift/drag ratio
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PITCHING MOMENT &
LIFT/DRAG RATIO CENTRE OF PRESSURE MOVEMENT
• The lift/drag ratio is a measure of aerodynamic • PITCHING MOMENT
efficiency and affects the aircraft’s performance in areas • Selecting flap will usually cause a change of pitching moment.
such as range, climb angle and glide angle. With flaps • This is a result of the movement of the centre of pressure of the
lowered, range will be decreased, climb angle reduced aerofoil, the increase in drag and the increase in downwash.
and glide angle increased. • CENTRE OF PRESSURE MOVEMENT
• The effect of lowering a trailing edge flap is to modify the
pressure distribution over the whole chord of the aerofoil, but
the greatest changes will occur in the region of the flap.
• This means that the centre of pressure of the aerofoil will move
rearwards, giving a nose-down change of pitching moment.
• In the case of the Fowler flap the rearward movement of the flap
will increase nose-down change of pitch.
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OVERALL PITCH CHANGE &
INCREASE IN DRAG &
AIRCRAFT ATTITUDE WITH FLAPS LOWERED
CHANGE OF DOWNWASH
• INCREASE IN DRAG • OVERALL PITCH CHANGE
• When the aircraft is in trim, all the moments around the CG will be in • The overall change of pitch will be the sum of the effects given
balance. above. It will be influenced by the type of flap, the position of the
• If the wing is mounted above the CG, drag increase when the flap is wing and the position of the tailplane, and may be nose-up, nose-
lowered will give a nose-up change of pitching moment, whereas if the down, or almost zero. Mounting the tailplane on top of the fin will
wing is below the CG, the flap drag will give a nose-down change of reduce the pitch change resulting from the change of downwash.
moment. • AIRCRAFT ATTITUDE WITH FLAPS LOWERED
• CHANGE OF DOWNWASH
• When the aircraft is in steady flight the lift must be equal to the
• With a rear-mounted tailplane, the tailplane angle of attack will be weight. If the flaps are lowered but the speed kept constant, the
determined by the downwash from the wing. lift will increase, and to maintain it at its original value the angle of
• If the flaps are lowered the downwash will increase, and the tailplane attack must be decreased.
angle of attack will decrease causing a nose-up change of pitch. • The aircraft will therefore fly in a more nose-down attitude if the
• (Note: If the tailplane angle is negative the change in downwash will flaps are down. On the approach to landing this is an advantage as
make it more negative and increase the download and give a nose-up it gives better visibility of the landing area.
pitch change).
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LEADING EDGE HIGH LIFT DEVICES &
LEADING EDGE FLAPS
LEADING EDGE FLAPS
• LEADING EDGE HIGH LIFT DEVICES • DROOP LEADING EDGE:
• There are two forms of leading edge high lift device • This is a hinged section of the leading edge which can be
commonly in use, the leading edge flap and the leading deflected downwards.
edge slot or slat.
• This delays the separation and permits higher angles of
• LEADING EDGE FLAPS
attack to be utilized, giving increased CLMAX.
• On high speed aerofoil sections the leading edge may have
very little camber and have a small radius.
• This can give flow separation just aft of the leading edge at
quite low angles of attack.
• This can be remedied by utilizing a leading edge flap which
increases the leading edge camber.
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LEADING EDGE FLAPS LEADING EDGE FLAPS
• KRUEGER FLAP: • VARIABLE CAMBER LEADING EDGE FLAP:
• The Krueger flap is part of the lower surface of the leading edge, • To improve efficiency by giving a better leading edge profile, the
which can be rotated about its forward edge. To promote root stall
on a swept wing, Krueger flaps are used on the inboard section camber of a leading edge flap may be increased as it is deployed.
because they are less efficient than the variable camber shown Unlike trailing edge flaps which can be selected to intermediate
below. positions, leading edge devices are either stowed or deployed.
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EFFECT OF LEADING EDGE FLAPS ON
LEADING EDGE SLOTS
LIFT
• The main effect of the leading edge flap is to delay separation, so • A leading edge slot
increase the stalling angle and the corresponding CLMAX. However, is a gap from the
there will be some increase of lift at lower angles of attack due to
the increased camber of the aerofoil section. The figure, below, lower surface to the
shows the effect of these flaps on the lift curve. upper surface of the
leading edge, and
may be fixed, or
created by moving
part of the leading
edge (the slat)
forwards.
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TRAILING EDGE PLUS LEADING EDGE
DEVICES
• Most large
transport aircraft
employ both trailing
edge and leading
edge devices.
• The figure below
shows the effect on
the lift curve of
both types of
device.
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