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16th April 2008, 02:21 AM

"Mike Sierra" <paysands_at_yahoo_dot_com> wrote in message
news:806sv3ln5kgkk22o49jv8ji3g9qn207bub@...
> Hi Flaps,
> My instructor wants me to learn to land with all the various flap
> configurations. Tuesday, I was practicing landings with full flaps.
> I agree with your post, that anything over twenty degrees adds drag
> without much lift. Depending on winds, I normally fly final with
> twenty degrees flaps.
> ms

Hey guys, the reason we put the flaps on the airplane was to increase the
drag. This allows a steeper and more accurate approach and shortens the
landing. With most airplanes and flap types the difference in stall speed
is pretty much negligible. It does happed that the huge Fowlers on Cessnas
do lower the stall speed noticeably, but they are still there for the drag
more than the lift.

My airplane is NOT a Cessna. My flaps have two positions. UP and DOWN.
They are vacuum operated so you can't stop in the middle if you try! Down
is 52 degrees! Lots of drag. Of course, if I put the prop into flat pitch
that 10 foot prop in low gear is like throwing out a drag chute also! I
usually make my base leg pretty close to the airport! :-) With the power
off, I come down final at 90 mph and slightly over 2000 feet per minute.
Since it really falls out of the sky at 80 mph I try to keep the speed up
until I cross the threshold. I use the energy stored in that airspeed to
stop my sink and level out over the runway. I can usually get it on and
slow enough to turn off the runway in 700 to 800 feet if my weight is under
4000 pounds. At that weight I need abouat 900 feet to get off again, so I
generally avoid runways shorter than 1200 feet to keep my accellerate/stop
distance in line! :-)

Highflyer
Highflight Aviation Services
Pinckneyville Airport ( PJY )

16th April 2008, 02:21 AM	#9 (permalink)
Highflyer Guest Posts: n/a Classified Rating: % ()	close encounter "Mike Sierra" <paysands_at_yahoo_dot_com> wrote in message news:806sv3ln5kgkk22o49jv8ji3g9qn207bub@... > Hi Flaps, > My instructor wants me to learn to land with all the various flap > configurations. Tuesday, I was practicing landings with full flaps. > I agree with your post, that anything over twenty degrees adds drag > without much lift. Depending on winds, I normally fly final with > twenty degrees flaps. > ms Hey guys, the reason we put the flaps on the airplane was to increase the drag. This allows a steeper and more accurate approach and shortens the landing. With most airplanes and flap types the difference in stall speed is pretty much negligible. It does happed that the huge Fowlers on Cessnas do lower the stall speed noticeably, but they are still there for the drag more than the lift. My airplane is NOT a Cessna. My flaps have two positions. UP and DOWN. They are vacuum operated so you can't stop in the middle if you try! Down is 52 degrees! Lots of drag. Of course, if I put the prop into flat pitch that 10 foot prop in low gear is like throwing out a drag chute also! I usually make my base leg pretty close to the airport! :-) With the power off, I come down final at 90 mph and slightly over 2000 feet per minute. Since it really falls out of the sky at 80 mph I try to keep the speed up until I cross the threshold. I use the energy stored in that airspeed to stop my sink and level out over the runway. I can usually get it on and slow enough to turn off the runway in 700 to 800 feet if my weight is under 4000 pounds. At that weight I need abouat 900 feet to get off again, so I generally avoid runways shorter than 1200 feet to keep my accellerate/stop distance in line! :-) Highflyer Highflight Aviation Services Pinckneyville Airport ( PJY )