Flaps VS Airbrakes/Spoilers

On 8/16/2011 8:26 PM, toad wrote:
On Aug 15, 10:55 pm, wrote:

The 'purpose of flaps' - Is this where philosophy enters the aerodynamic world
definable by flaps' effect on a glider's polar?
...
Where I'm headed with this is, one can reasonably conclude the 'purpose of
flaps' is whatever JGP decides, within their aerodynamic capabilities. ...

Joe Pilot didn't put the flaps there, Bob the designer did. He had a
"purpose", which was probably to lower the stall speed and thus the
approach speed and all the other good things that come from that.

Indeed the designer(s) did put the flaps on certain ships, not Joe Glider
Pilot. And today it's difficult to come any closer to getting inside the mind
of the designer *most* responsible for turning one subset of U.S. glider
pilot's minds onto the benefit of large deflection landing flaps than can be
done from a link earlier referenced by Wayne Paul...

http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/St...r_on_Flaps.htm

*My* point was intended for JGP inside the cockpit while landing. It indeed
may be helpful to be even further inside the designer's mind...but it's not
necessary in order for JGP to extract the most benefits from the flaps, so
long as he understands their aerodynamic capabilities, whether his
understanding is gained entirely empirically or has a theoretically based assist.

Regards,
Bob W.