wrote:

hmm...I am just asking. I am not an engineer, so I cannot calculate
loads and required strengths, but it would not seem to be too difficult
to integrate parallel ribs that slide along tracks with the extra wing.
or use some other wing strengthener that extends with the wing (e.g.,
a scissor-type extender). so maybe my eyeglass container solution
won't work, but flaps do not strike me as the only solution. yes, they
allow for a sharper angle of attack, but they do not gain much in terms
of wingloading. (and more importantly, in high speed, we need less
wing and drag, not more.)

inflatable would be nice, too... :-) modern materials like composites
should be pretty strong, too.

mostly just wondering why we do not get more wing when we need it...

/iaw



What flaps DO gain is Coefficient of Lift,
which makes more lift from the area you already have.