View Single Post
  #1  
Old August 15th 11, 09:57 PM
Walt Connelly Walt Connelly is offline
Senior Member
 
First recorded activity by AviationBanter: Aug 2010
Posts: 365
Default Flaps VS Airbrakes/Spoilers

Well about half of the posts re flaps only gliders made me feel positive about the possibility of finding a glider with flaps only, and the other half made me feel just the opposite. I guess you could dump flaps on final rather quickly if your speed was above stall for all ranges of the flaps as they came up but the purpose of flaps is to create more lift allowing for a lower approach speed or am I mistaken? Apparently beyond a certain point the flaps cease to provide lift and are only a drag device. It would make sense that a quick move from the drag area back to the maximum deflection for lift could be accomplished quickly with little problem.

I guess the best option is for a glider with both flaps and spoilers/airbrakes but I don't think there are a lot of those out there. Sometimes too many opinions from too many people are a bad thing.

Walt