A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, the vane assembly comprising: a vane having an inner wall defining an inner cavity, the inner wall comprising a first inner wall portion and a second inner wall portion, and a heat shield disposed in and having a shape generally conforming to a contour of the inner cavity, the heat shield comprising: a heat shield body comprising a first side portion and a second side potion opposed to the first side portion, the first side portion and the second side portion defining an inner channel of the heat shield body for receiving a main cooling flow, the heat shield body defining an outer channel between the heat shield body and the inner wall of the vane, wherein the first side portion comprises an inwardly sloped inner section such that a cross-section of the heat shield body is reduced in an inner body portion of the heat shield body relative to an outer body portion of the heat shield body; and wherein the outer body portion has a first open end and the inner body portion has an opposing second open end the second open end comprising a reduced cross-sectional size relative to a cross-sectional size of the first open end, the first open end comprising a heat shield inlet and the second open end comprising a heat shield outlet; an aperture disposed through the inner section of the first side portion in a selected radial position, wherein the selected radial position is proximate a transition from the outer body portion of the heat shield body to the inwardly sloped inner section, and wherein the aperture is configured such that a first cooling flow of the main cooling flow is separated from a second cooling flow | of the main cooling flow at the aperture, and wherein the heat shield is configured such that the first cooling flow and the second cooling flow flow together downstream of the heat shield outlet. a vane having an inner wall defining an inner cavity, the inner wall comprising a first inner wall portion and a second inner wall portion, and a heat shield disposed in and having a shape generally conforming to a contour of the inner cavity, the heat shield comprising: a heat shield body comprising a first side portion and a second side potion opposed to the first side portion, the first side portion and the second side portion defining an inner channel of the heat shield body for receiving a main cooling flow, the heat shield body defining an outer channel between the heat shield body and the inner wall of the vane, wherein the first side portion comprises an inwardly sloped inner section such that a cross-section of the heat shield body is reduced in an inner body portion of the heat shield body relative to an outer body portion of the heat shield body; and wherein the outer body portion has a first open end and the inner body portion has an opposing second open end the second open end comprising a reduced cross-sectional size relative to a cross-sectional size of the first open end, the first open end comprising a heat shield inlet and the second open end comprising a heat shield outlet; an aperture disposed through the inner section of the first side portion in a selected radial position, wherein the selected radial position is proximate a transition from the outer body portion of the heat shield body to the inwardly sloped inner section, and wherein the aperture is configured such that a first cooling flow of the main cooling flow is separated from a second cooling flow | of the main cooling flow at the aperture, and wherein the heat shield is configured such that the first cooling flow and the second cooling flow flow together downstream of the heat shield outlet. a heat shield body comprising a first side portion and a second side potion opposed to the first side portion, the first side portion and the second side portion defining an inner channel of the heat shield body for receiving a main cooling flow, the heat shield body defining an outer channel between the heat shield body and the inner wall of the vane, wherein the first side portion comprises an inwardly sloped inner section such that a cross-section of the heat shield body is reduced in an inner body portion of the heat shield body relative to an outer body portion of the heat shield body; and wherein the outer body portion has a first open end and the inner body portion has an opposing second open end the second open end comprising a reduced cross-sectional size relative to a cross-sectional size of the first open end, the first open end comprising a heat shield inlet and the second open end comprising a heat shield outlet; an aperture disposed through the inner section of the first side portion in a selected radial position, wherein the selected radial position is proximate a transition from the outer body portion of the heat shield body to the inwardly sloped inner section, and wherein the aperture is configured such that a first cooling flow of the main cooling flow is separated from a second cooling flow | of the main cooling flow at the aperture, and wherein the heat shield is configured such that the first cooling flow and the second cooling flow flow together downstream of the heat shield outlet.