Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #3838
From: dfs <dfs@gateway.net>
Subject: Reflex Flaps
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 22:58:43 -0800
To: Lancair List <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
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Sorry Pete, your explanation re: the 235 wing incidence being designed wrong
isn't quite correct.

The wing incidence (assuming the builder assembled everything per plans) is
fine as designed. If the incidence was wrong, the thing would never trim out
for a decent cruise but it does just fine, thank you - as a 235 flyer with
more than 500 hours on his airframe I can attest. The conclusion probably
stems from the difference in where the fuselage fairing and the flap inboard
ends meet on the 235 vs the 320/360 with the flaps in "neutral" and in
"reflex".

The following is part of a note I just sent Bo Thisted in a discussion of
this very subject.

"It's a little confusing when you compare the early 235's and the later
versions of the Lancair - on my plane, a 235, when you have the flaps
"neutral" the inboard ends of the flaps are faired with the fuselage
fairings which just happens to be the flap-neutral position. When I raise my
flaps into the reflexed position for cruise, there is quite a gap between
the flaps and the fairing, and I'm sure there is a bit of drag generated at
that junction. Since we are all speed-freaks, and we are always trying to
get minimum drag during cruise, Lancair decided to revamp the fuselage
fairings so that they are neatly faired to the flap inboard ends when
reflexed to reduce cruise drag. Sensible but if it means they appear to be
down some amount when truly neutral."

Neutral position, in re: flaps, is the position where the chord line of the
wing is relatively continuous from leading edge thru the trailing edge of
the wing - which for about 2/3 of the Lancair wing, means thru the trailing
edge of the flaps. Has nothing to do with where the flaps happen to line up
with the fuselage fairings. If one wanted to get picky, you could say that
the 235 fuselage fairing position was incorrectly designed (see above) but
the wing incidence??? No way!

Respectfully,

Dan Schaefer

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