Splitter plate (aeronautics)

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A splitter plate is a device on some jet aircraft that helps control the air going into the engine. When the engine intake is mounted partway back on the fuselage or under the wing, the plate pushes the boundary layer—the slow, near-surface air that clings to the aircraft—away from the intake. If boundary layer air enters the engine, it can distort the airflow and hurt performance. The plate keeps this layer from reaching the engine by separating it from the fast-moving air. Some plates have holes near the engine side with suction to pull even more boundary layer away.