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Leading-edge cuff (drooped leading edge)
What does a leading-edge cuff do? · Standard part · basis: Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio
Also called: leading edge cuff, drooped leading edge, wing cuff, stall cuff, segmented leading edge, outboard droop, spin resistant wing, leading edge droop rc, cuffed wing
Exact dimensions. True size, with no printing tolerance added.
- sizes
- 4 in table
Notes
- A cuff extends the leading edge down and forward, lowering stall speed at a cruise-speed penalty (FAA PHAK ch.6).
- On NASA's canard GA model an outboard droop of about 6% chord extension and 3% camber over the outer 25% of span stopped premature tip stall, increased roll damping and eliminated wing rock; without it roll damping went unstable near 16 deg (NASA TP-2623).
- The reported cruise drag penalty was 0.0040 (NASA TP-2623, citing reference data).
- Used on: NASA canard GA model (TP-2623).
- The file is a reference example built by Xem Studio from the numbers above. Sizes the sources do not fix are illustrative; scale the example to your own vehicle.
Leading-edge cuff size chart
| parameter | value or range | source |
|---|---|---|
| Outboard droop geometry | ~6% chord extension, ~3% camber, outer 25% span | NASA TP-2623 |
| Roll damping without droop | unstable at ~16 deg AoA | NASA TP-2623 |
| Cruise drag penalty | 0.0040 | NASA TP-2623 |
| Reference build | chord 100, 6% extension on 25% of a 1200 span | NASA TP-2623 |
Where the files are
Other publishers' files are linked, not hosted. "verify" = check the license at the link before commercial use.
| FAA | Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25), Ch. 6 Flight Controls | web | Publisher's page; dimensions are facts |
| NASA Langley (D. Satran) | Wind-Tunnel Investigation of the Flight Characteristics of a Canard General-Aviation Airplane Configuration, NASA TP-2623 (1986) | web | Publisher's page; dimensions are facts |
Free files
★ Free files 1 parts. Xem Studio design: free to use, print and sell things from; not to be republished as files. Xem Studio Design License. index.json
| leading-edge-cuff-wing-segment | Wing segment with a drooped/extended leading-edge cuff on the outer half (illustrative) | STEP · STL |
https://xemstudio.com/mcp to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client (free, no account, one minute) and it can look up exact sizes, mating fits and free STEP/STL from every chat.Plain text: sheet.txt · JSON: /api/geometry?object=leading-edge-cuff
Fits with
Questions
Where should a cuff go?
Outboard: NASA used the outer 25% of span to keep the tips flying (TP-2623).