Purpose
Aircraft designs include compromises intended to maximize performance for a particular role. One of the most fundamental of these is the size of the wing; a larger wing will provide more lift and reduce takeoff and landing distance, but will increase drag during cruising flight and thereby lead to lower than optimum fuel economy. High-lift devices are used to smooth out the differences between the two goals, allowing the use of an efficient cruising wing, and adding lift for takeoff and landing.
Read more about this topic: High-lift Device
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