Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #3818
From: dfs <dfs@gateway.net>
Subject: Reflex question
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1999 23:50:48 -0800
To: Lancair List <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
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To answer Bo Thisted's question about "going in ond out of reflex":

 No, I don't think you ever did this in your Cessna. Or if you did, you had
either one very unusual Cessna - or - one very bent cessna.

The term refers to raising the flaps above neutral (faired position) about 7
degrees I think it is, for cruise. The purpose, technically, has generated
some lively discussions here but as far as the effects on your airplane is
concerned, it's what lets you go fast. Whether reflexing flaps reduces
excess lift, or as I believe, counteracts the very high pitching moment of
the Lancair airfoil and thereby, reduces the high pitch trim drag that that
produces, whatever - "going into reflex" means running your flaps up about 7
degrees above the faired position and conversely, "going out of reflex"
means running them back down to neutral once you slow down to prepare for
landing or other slow-speed manuever.

I was told by the factory check pilot that got me squared away in the left
seat that, at least on the early birds, they wanted the flaps reflexed
anytime the IAS was 160 MPH and above. They could be reflexed below that
speed, that wasn't the issue, but he mentioned that the wing's high pitching
moment created very strong twisting forces in the wing as the speed went
higher unless the flaps were reflexed to relieve those forces.

Dan Schaefer

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