Hello modelers! I would like to display my 109E with the flaps down BUT the slats retracted. I have researched and researched but can find my answer. I did see a pictures of a restored 109 with the flaps extended but the slats retracted. But the key word there is “restored”. So can the flaps be extended but not the slats? Or could he have retracted the slats separate from the flaps? I know the slats are automatic and depend on AOA and such, but I don’t know if the pilot could manually retract them as well.
I just found this picture. The slats appear to be retracted and flaps down.
Yes, they did. The slats were spring loaded and moved in and out on their own. The force of air in flight kept them closed, but they could bounce open again on the ground. I’ve heard that normal procedure was for ground crew to push them in once the aircraft was stopped; it seems that sand could clog the mechanism and lead to a crash.
The slats work independently of the flaps, so model them as you like.
Thanks a lot gents!
The slats were aerodynamically actuated. When the AOA (angle of attack) increased to a certain point, they would come out on their own via low tension spring actuation. Closing on their own when AOA was decreased. There was no pilot control.
Incidentally, experienced pilots such as Rall and Hartmann were careful to tell new pilots that a fairly common issue with the slats was to have one deploy only, causing a snap roll. They were tricky!