wsmalley,

I am going to look around a bit for some pictures. What you describe doesn't sound like what I am referring to as slats. Of course, any high-lift device will be cool to put on a plane. What I mean by a slat is a section of the leading edge, sort of like a very blunt flap, which extends forward and down, leaving a gap for air to flow through. You will see these on most any large airliner you fly on. Your description sounds like a deployable strake. I think it's purpose is to initiate a vortex to give some vortex lift at high AoA, but I will do some reading, and let you know what I find out.

banktoturn