What is the purpose of stall strips on airplane wings?

Stall strips are specifically designed to modify the airflow over the wings of an aircraft to ensure that a stall occurs at the root of the wing before it happens at the tips. This design feature is crucial for maintaining control during flight, particularly at low speeds or during maneuvers that can lead to stalling. When stalls occur at the root first, the ailerons, which are located towards the wing tips, continue to have effective control. This helps the pilot maintain control of the aircraft, reducing the risk of adverse yaw or loss of aileron control that can happen if a stall occurs at the tips first.

The stall strips create a specific airflow pattern that encourages the wing root to reach its critical angle of attack before the wing tips do. This feature enhances safety by making the aircraft more forgiving and easier to recover from a stall condition. Therefore, ensuring that stalling progresses from the root outwards helps pilots retain better handling characteristics in critical flight phases.