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  #21  
Old July 28th 05, 03:35 AM
Peter Duniho
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"Skywise" wrote in message
...
[...]
This isn't true. Spoilers provide effective roll control even on a
stalled wing while ailerons do not. lift does not disappear when the
wing stalls.


Not so, Mike. Spoilers spoil lift. You can't spoil lift that ain't
there
as in a stalled wing.


But is not the definition of a stalled wing one that is
producing less lift than necessary to maintain flight?


Actually, the definition of a stalled wing is one that has exceeded the
critical angle of attack. The critical angle of attack is the point at
which the wing has the greatest lift coefficient.

It is true that a stalled wing still has lift, and it is also true that a
stalled wing can be provided with *some* roll control with spoilers, when in
the same situation ailerons would be useless.

I might dispute the use of the word "effective", just because often it's
used to imply some semblance of quality. But I think in this context, as
long as it's understood that "effective" simply means that the spoiler do
have an effect, there's no need for debating those semantics.

Pete