Quote Originally Posted by Stephen View Post
I totally agree. The deck angle required to take advantage of slats or slots is high.

My Super Pacer has 93 inch flaps.
Steven

I beg to differ............ slightly. Slots were originally designed to keep air flowing over control surfaces at low speeds (high AOA). ..... mostly for ailerons but you still find them on some elevators. Piper came out with the L14 in the mid 40s with the full SLOTTED wing which doesn't change the airfoil. The modified J5 was already a fairly good STOL airplane but with the slots it could get up a little quicker but most of all be able to climb out of ground fire. Air would stay attached the upper surface to almost 45°. With not much war activity the L14 lost out to the L19 (all metal), after the Army/Air Force separation in 1947, just in time for the Korean war in 1950.

The SLATTED wing not only creates the SLOT but increases the WING AREA and greatly UNDERCAMBERS the airfoil at the same time multiplying the lift significantly. Observe a Helio sometime and see how flat an approach can be, increasing to a higher AOA only in the flair. It CAN fly at a very high AOA, it's just not necessary or practical to do so. But the Helio has a good set of flaps that also contribute to the high lift, it's the combination of the two that make it perform ....... that and power!

Another reason you see more slots that slats is the COMPLEXITY, especially in a rag wing. I should have one set of wings done this year maybe with another set right behind it. The stretched Pacer will have the shorter version (165" spars) and the PA12/14 clone will have the 17' long ones. Plus, I think I mentioned to you before they will also have spoilers similar to the Helio