You can see they're down at a large angle in the top pic of the right column in the first post above right after take-off. I still stand by my assertion that they're main purpose is for controlling airflow into the inlets at higher alpha's. That's also due to the fact that leading edge devices don't develop that much added lift on their own, though they do decrease energy loss of the airflow over the top. They only add a lot of lift in conjunction with flaps. As such, their greater contribution due to their position and size is going to be in turning the airflow into the inlet at higher alpha's.
Some have said they take place of the "canards" on the Flanker designs, but I don't really buy into that. Partly because I have yet to see any pics where they are deflected up at any large angles and I just don't see them generating those loads, except maybe as "trimmers", in the Newtonian sense, but I can't help thinking flow separation over them at higher speeds would be more hindrance than help since, unlike a canard, they don't have the trailing edge "slot" effect to keep the airflow energized around it; It's the leading edge of a very long low aspect ratio wing center section/fuselage. In fact, I have only seen them slightly up on the ground and in the pattern and once again, I think that is to facilitate the airflow into the inlets.
I have to say, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the video and the pics and was somewhat shocked to see how much of the manuevering envelope they have opened up so rapidly.
