Flying With Flaps

Fly like a pro by understanding the basics

Learning to fly RC airplanes is a step by step process. First, you learn one control and then you move on to the next. Before you know it, you’ve masters the four basic controls: throttle, elevator, rudder, and ailerons. Once you try your hand at flying a scale subject, you’ll be introduced to another set of controls in the form of the flaps. Since most full-size aircraft use then, many scale models include them for true scale flight performance. If you have never flown a model equipped with flaps, there are a few things you’ll need to know. There are right ways and wrong ways to use them and this article should help you understand the fundamentals.

Overall, when flaps are lowered they change the wing’s lift and drag characteristics and in so doing, lower the stall speed. By changing the camber of the wing, both lift and drag are increased for a given airspeed. As a result, the speed at which an aircraft can land is affected. If you have never flown with flaps before, don’t worry. Flaps add flexibility to your model’s flight envelope, and they offer a fun new experience.

PLAIN FLAPS

Though there are four basic types of flaps: plain, split, Fowler, and slotted, the plain flap is the most common and is simply a hinged portion of the trailing edge. Usually hinged at the top of the control surface, plain flaps deflect in a downward direction. Cubs and other sport scale models use plain flaps to keep construction and function simple.

The major advantage of flaps is that they shorten (and steepen) your landing approach by allowing your model to fly more slowly while in a nose-down attitude. Here are some helpful hints.

DOs

Learn how your plane reacts to flaps at a safe altitude before attempting your first landing.

Reduce the throttle to around 1/3 and let the plane slowly before dropping the flaps.