Message-ID: <19981228084441.10296.qmail@www04.netaddress.usa.net>
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1998 08:44:41
From: Dan Schaefer <dfschaefer@usa.net>
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Subject: Flaperons and things
Mime-Version: 1.0

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Based on the posts regarding pros 'n cons of flaperons, there's some
interesting and confusing statements posted on the subject. 

First, after having been in the business for enough years to have done
a lot of my early business travel on prop driven aircraft, it is my
humble opinion that it's folly to make any kind of a blanket statement
about things aeronautical.  Particularly when it comes to the "aero"
part of the equation. Many, many things that are being done routinely
today were once considered "undoable".  The "everybody knows" syndrome
would have never let Whitcomb produce the "coke-bottle fuseslage"
(or more properly, the "area ruled fuselage") and Mach 1+ flight
would be very much more uncommon today.

Finding out if flaperons is a "good thing" for the total Lancair aero
equation is for someone with the ability to design and execute a
sound configuration, who has the intestinal fortitude to become a
Test Pilot (Note the caps there!) for his design. There are two possible
outcomes: 1) We all benefit from an improved flying machine, 2) He (or
she) will have the distinction of learning something no one else knows
(unfortunately, He (or she) may have that information for a very short
time).

If it's important enough to you, go for it - you could become famous!

I will interject here that along the lines of flaperons, etc. I have
often toyed with the idea of figuring out how to reflex the ailerons
right along with the flaps. Since the primary reason for the reflex is
to reduce the very high pitching moment of the NLF airfoil, thereby
reducing the trim drag in cruise, (and, incidentally, to reduce the
resulting very high twisting forces (engineers, is that the correct term?)
on the wing.

It seems that if reflexing the flaps lets us go so much faster and
reduces the stress on part of the wing at the same time, reflexing
the whole wing could only help. Any takers? I just haven't figured out
a simple and neat way to do it yet and would welcome any and all comments
on the subject. Besides, I'm an electroniker, not a mechanical type
and I think, at least, the thing ought to be done mechanically,
right in the aileron control system.

Cheers,

Dan Schaeafer
N235SP
Only 2/3 reflexed.