All Topics  
Leading edge

 
Leading Edge

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Leading edge
 
 
  Topics Leading edge Topic Home

The leading edge is a line connecting the forward-most points of a wing
Wing

A wing is a surface used to produce Lift for flight through the Earth's atmosphere or another gaseous or fluid medium. The wing shape is usually an airfoil....
's profile. In other words, it's the front edge of the wing. When an aircraft is moving forward, the leading edge is that part of the wing that first contacts the air.

During a tailslide, from an aerodynamic point-of-view, the trailing edge
Trailing edge

The trailing edge of a wing is the rear edge of the wing, where the airflow separated by the leading edge rejoins after passing over and under the top and bottom surfaces of the wing....
 becomes the leading edge and vice-versa.

The leading edge may be equipped with one or more of the following:

The leading edge of a wing can be perpendicular to the airflow, in which case it is called a straight wing.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Leading edge'
Start a new discussion about 'Leading edge'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Americanaviationaa 1yankeeclipper05
The leading edge is a line connecting the forward-most points of a wing
Wing

A wing is a surface used to produce Lift for flight through the Earth's atmosphere or another gaseous or fluid medium. The wing shape is usually an airfoil....
's profile. In other words, it's the front edge of the wing. When an aircraft is moving forward, the leading edge is that part of the wing that first contacts the air.

During a tailslide, from an aerodynamic point-of-view, the trailing edge
Trailing edge

The trailing edge of a wing is the rear edge of the wing, where the airflow separated by the leading edge rejoins after passing over and under the top and bottom surfaces of the wing....
 becomes the leading edge and vice-versa.

The leading edge may be equipped with one or more of the following:
  • leading edge extension
    Leading edge extension

    Leading edge extensions or LEX are fillet s added to the front of a modern fighter aircraft's wings in order to provide usable aerodynamics at high angle of attack....
    s,
  • slats,
  • slots
  • stall strips
    Stall strips

    A stall strip is a fixed aerodynamics device employed on fixed-wing aircraft to modify the airfoil used. They are usually factory-installed or, on rarer occasion, an after-market modification....
  • a leading edge cuff
    Leading edge cuff

    Leading edge cuffs are a fixed aerodynamics device employed on fixed-wing aircraft to modify the airfoil used. They may be either factory-installed or, more commonly, an after-market modification....
  • vortex generator
    Vortex generator

    A vortex generator is an aerodynamic surface, consisting of a small vane that creates a vortex. Vortex generators can be found on many devices, but the term is most often used in aircraft design....
    s.


The leading edge of a wing can be perpendicular to the airflow, in which case it is called a straight wing. If it meets the airflow at an angle it is referred to as a swept wing
Swept wing

A swept-wing is a wing planform common on jet aircraft capable of near-sonic or supersonic speeds. The wings are swept back instead of being set at right angles to the fuselage which was common on propeller.driven aircraft and early jets....
. Some aircraft, like the General Dynamics F-111
General Dynamics F-111

The General Dynamics F-111 is a medium-range interdictor and fighter bomber aircraft that also fills the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance and electronic warfare in its various versions....
, have moving wings which are referred to as swing wings
Swing-wing

A variable-sweep wing is an aeroplane wing that may be swept back and then returned to its original position during flight. It allows the aircraft's planform to be modified in flight, and is therefore an example of variable geometry....
.

In high-speed aircraft (such as the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle

NASA's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System , is the spacecraft currently used by the United States government for its human spaceflight missions....
), air friction can cause extreme heating of the leading edge. This was the cause of the accident of the Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia

Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. Its first mission, STS-1, lasted from April 12 to April 14, 1981....
 during re-entry on February 1, 2003. The accident was preceded by a small amount of damage to the RCC
Reinforced carbon-carbon

Carbon fibre-reinforced Carbon is a composite material consisting of carbon fiber reinforcement in a matrix of graphite. It was developed for the nose cones of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and is most widely known as the material for the nose cone and leading edges of the Space Shuttle....
 tiles on the leading edge, which occurred during take-off.