A stall strip is a small component fixed to the

leading edge The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...

of the

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...

of an

airplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spe ...

to modify its aerodynamic characteristics.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms'', third edition, page 487. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. These stall strips may be necessary for the airplane to comply with

type certification A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applic ...

requirements. A stall strip typically consists of a small piece of material, usually aluminium, triangular in cross section and often 6-12 inches (15–30 cm) in length. It is

rivet A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched ...

ed or bonded to the wing’s leading edge. Some airplanes have one stall strip on each wing. Some airplanes have only one stall strip on one wing.

Operation

A stall strip initiates

flow separation In fluid dynamics, flow separation or boundary layer separation is the detachment of a boundary layer from a surface into a wake. A boundary layer exists whenever there is relative movement between a fluid and a solid surface with viscous ...

on a region of the upper surface of the wing during flight at high

angle of attack In fluid dynamics, angle of attack (AOA, α, or \alpha) is the angle between a reference line on a body (often the chord line of an airfoil) and the vector representing the relative motion between the body and the fluid through which it is ...

. This is typically to avoid a tendency to spin following a stall, or to improve the controllability of the airplane as it approaches the stall. A stall strip may be intended to alter the wing’s stall characteristics and ensure that the

wing root The wing root is the part of the wing on a fixed-wing aircraft or winged-spaceship that is closest to the fuselage,Peppler, I.L.: ''From The Ground Up'', page 9. Aviation Publishers Co. Limited, Ottawa Ontario, Twenty Seventh Revised Edition, 19 ...

stalls before the wing tips. In some cases, such as the

American Aviation AA-1 Yankee The Grumman American AA-1 series is a family of light, two-seat aircraft. The family includes the original American Aviation AA-1 Yankee and AA-1A Trainer, the Grumman American AA-1B Trainer and TR-2, plus the Gulfstream American AA-1C ...

, both wings are designed to incorporate stall strips. In the case of the AA-1 the left and right wings were identical, interchangeable and built on a single wing jig, thus the more traditional use of washout in the wing design was not possible. Stall strips are usually factory-installed but, on rarer occasions, may be an after-market modification.

References

External links

Stall Origins and Performance, Whittsflying website - accessed 09 March 2008
{{Aircraft components Aircraft wing components

Operation

See also

References

External links