leading edge

1. Nautical. The edge of a sail that faces the wind.
2. The front edge of an airplane propeller blade or wing.
3. 1. The foremost position in a trend or movement; the vanguard: "a company on the leading edge of machine-tool technology" (Christian Science Monitor).
   2. Someone or something occupying such a position: "Together they are the leading edge of a new wing of historians known as cliometricians" (Timothy Foote).

(1) The edge of a document (or of a punch card during many decades of data processing) that enters the read station first.

(2) In digital electronics, a pulse as it changes from a 0 to a 1.

(3) In programming, a loop that tests a condition before the loop is entered.

(4) The latest technology. See bleeding edge.

(5) (Leading Edge Products, Inc., Westborough, MA) A PC manufacturer founded in 1980. Its Model M (for Mitsubishi) in 1982 was the first PC from overseas. Korean Daewoo Corporation supplied it with products since 1984 and acquired it in 1989. Leading Edge computers are no longer sold in the U.S.

Download Computer Desktop Encyclopedia to your iPhone/iTouch

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: forward edge of an airfoil

For other uses, see Leading edge (disambiguation).

American Aviation AA-1 Yankee showing the wing's straight leading edge

The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air.^[1]

During a tailslide, from an aerodynamic point-of-view, the trailing edge becomes the leading edge and vice-versa.

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

• Leading edge cuffs
• Leading edge extensions
• Leading edge slats
• Leading edge slots
• Krueger flaps
• Stall strips
• Vortex generators.

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. Some aircraft, like the General Dynamics F-111, have moving wings which are referred to as swing wings.

In high-speed aircraft (such as the Space Shuttle), air friction can cause extreme heating of the leading edge. This was the cause of the accident of the Space Shuttle Columbia during re-entry on February 1, 2003. The accident was preceded by a small amount of damage to the RCC tiles on the leading edge, which occurred during take-off.

References

1. ^ Crane, Dale: Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition, page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. ISBN 1-56027-287-2

v • d • e Aircraft components and systems Airframe structure Cabane strut · Canopy · Cruciform tail · Fairing · Fabric covering · Flying wires · Former · Fuselage · Interplane strut · Horizontal stabilizer · Jury strut · Leading edge · Longeron · Nacelle · Rear pressure bulkhead · Rib · Spar · Stabilizer · Stressed skin · Strut · Tailplane · Trailing edge · T-tail · Twin tail · Vertical stabilizer · V-tail · Wing root · Wing tip Flight controls Aileron · Airbrake · Artificial feel · Autopilot · Canard · Deceleron · Elevator · Elevon · Flaperon · Flight control modes · Gust lock · Rudder · Servo tab · Spoiler · Spoileron · Stabilator · Stick pusher · Stick shaker · Trim tab · Yaw damper · Wing warping · Yoke High-lift and aerodynamic devices Blown flap · Dog-tooth · Flap · Gouge flap · Gurney flap · Krueger flaps · Leading edge cuff · LEX · Slats · Slot · Stall strips · Strake · Vortex generator · Wing fence · Winglet Avionic and flight instrument systems ACAS · Air data computer · Airspeed indicator · Altimeter · Annunciator panel · Attitude indicator · Compass · Course Deviation Indicator · EFIS · EICAS · Flight data recorder · Flight management system · Glass cockpit · GPS · Heading indicator · Horizontal situation indicator · INAS · TCAS · Transponder Turn and bank indicator · Pitot-static system · Radar altimeter · Vertical Speed Indicator · Yaw string Propulsion controls, devices and fuel systems Autothrottle · Drop tank · FADEC · Fuel tank · Inlet cone · Intake ramp · NACA cowling · Self-sealing fuel tank · Throttle · Thrust lever · Thrust reversal · Townend ring · Wet wing Landing and arresting gear Autobrake · Conventional landing gear · Arrestor hook · Drogue parachute · Landing gear extender · Tricycle gear · Tundra tire · Undercarriage Escape systems Ejection seat · Escape crew capsule Other systems Aircraft lavatory · Auxiliary power unit · Bleed air system · Emergency oxygen system · Environmental Control System · Hydraulic system · Ice protection system · Landing lights · Navigation light · Ram air turbine

v • d • e Lists relating to aviation General Timeline of aviation · Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airports · Airlines · Civil authorities · Museums Military Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft Accidents/incidents General · Military · Commercial (airliners) · Deaths Records Airspeed · Distance · Altitude · Endurance · Most-produced aircraft

This article about aviation terminology is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)