Abstract: An air bearing slider for supporting a magnetic transducer comprising a pair of coplanar side rails on the sides of an air bearing surface of the slider and a center rail along the central region of the air bearing surface to form recessed areas between the rails which extend from the leading to the trailing end of the slider. All the rails have a tapered section at their leading ends. The side rails have a width that does not exceed the width of the side rails at the leading end, and the side rails extend only part way to the trailing end of the slider. The width of the center rail is small at the leading end and greatest at the trailing end of the slider, where the transducer is supported.

Abstract: A semi self-loading air bearing ferrite slider assembly has a tapered leading surface portion extending from a cross rail from which side rails and a middle rail extend rearwardly. The middle rail progressively narrows to form the transducer portion where it extends across the gap between the body portion and core piece near the trailing end of the rail. Etched surfaces between the middle rail and the side rails provides subambient pressure during operation when the slider is in flight whereby the balance between the repelling air bearing surface and attraction of the subambient pressure areas supplements the stabilizing force of the load arm.