Flaps Management

[BBP]

So I've been told "keep your speed up"  - so does this mean you'll rarely use your flaps?  On many planes the flaps don't work until your down to 175. So what are the Flaps good for?  The Flaps work to slow down, help stabilize your plane at slow speeds, give you lift when needed, create a tighter turn when deployed, and oh yes - back your parked plane up. 

I'm sure there is more I don't know. Can you veterans please list all there is to know about the use of flaps and when to use them, it is confusing for us rookies.

Thanks Very Much!
KimoSabe

[FLS]

Flaps lower your stall speed. If you hear the stall horn and want to pull more on the stick add flaps. Get the flaps back up as soon as you can.

[Mongoose]

  Flaps will normally be used for landing, and sometimes for takeoff. When landing, you can use flaps to slow you down, lower your stall speed, and make your plane more stable at lower speed.

  Some planes, such as the P-38 (My Plane!  ) can use flaps in combat.  At a speed of 250 or below, I can drop two notches of flaps, and make my turn tighter.  Flaps should be raised as soon as the turn is complete.

[Big Rat]

Flaps are the double edged sword.  They increase lift at the expense of drag.  So the trick is knowing how much and for how long to use them.  In most fights you'll use them is short bursts to get your shot and quickly pull them back in to maintain as much E as possible.  Flaps like throttle useage could fill a book unto themselves and vary their use according to airframe, airspeed, AoA, etc.  For example how you use your flaps in an F4U is widely different then a Spitfire.  just as how effective flaps are vary widely across airframes as well, Ki-43 vs C205 for example.

 
BigRat

[BBP]

Well Rat, I wouldn't mind hearing more about useage of Flaps on the F4U as that is the plane I am trying to learn on now. I have a bad habit of flying around full speed never using my Flaps, partly in fear of getting to slow and getting whacked. But I'm getting the idea of out to save you and in to save your speed.

KimoSabe

[BaldEagl]

Outside of combat use them:

On landing in combination with throttle
Taking off with heavy loads (bombers, attack fighters from carriers) or short runways (carriers for certain aircraft)
Any time you want to reduce stall speed

During combat use them:

To help you over the top of a loop at stall speeds

To tighten the corner on your opponent

General information:

Aircraft have differing flap speeds.  For instance, most U.S. aircraft deploy at 250 mph, German at 175 and British at 150 although there are exceptions.  I use these examples as they're most familiar to me.

Aircraft have differing flap settings.  For instance most U.S. aircraft have five deployed settings, German three and British three with the major exception being the Spitfire at one (down).

In some aircraft, flaps are incredibly helpful.  In others they're a hindrance.

In some aircraft or in certain situations, the use of other controls such as rudder or throttle (including WEP) can make flaps usage more effective.

The general consensus is to use just enough flaps (both in level of deployment and in time of deployment) needed to accomplish your goal.  That said, you'll find "full flaps" fights in your time in AH.

Hope that helps.

[BBP]

Thanks Much!

Very Interesting!

KimoSabe

[The Fugitive]

Flaps, I've always been told are a "feel" kinda thing. As everyone said they are different on each plane. One other point, Combat Trim doesn't take into effect the flap deployment. When in a 38 I can zoom to 75 mph and using flaps roll over at the top and maintain control to dive back and make a guns pass. With combat trim ON if I go that slow the game will try to trim the nose up and the plane will seem almost like it got stuck in the air and wallow at the top of a zoom. There are other effects in other planes due to combat trim. If your going to get that slow you might want to knock combat trim off.

As for the F4u, it sounds like your flying it more like a pony or FW, which is ok. The F4 has a great roll rate and you can use that to get around on your targets. If you do want to use your flaps in most cases your going to flip them out a notch or two and then pulling them back up to keep your speed up. Heres a great pony film. He uses a bit of flaps here and there to turn/slow for a shot but gets them back up again to maintain his speed.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/5c72lgl1q7992wh/51lulz.ahf

The fun thing with the F4 is you CAN turn with a lot of planes and really mix it up with them. The trick is you have to have good SA. If your in a furball situation then getting slow isn't the best idea as it takes a bit of time and space to build your speed back up.. If you do get low and slow and you throwing flaps out be sure you aren't the target of more than 1 or 2 

[FLS]

The other thing you need to know about flaps is that the first 50% extension gives you most of the increase in coefficient of lift, the second 50% gives you most of the increase in drag. When you do need flaps don't use more than you need.

[Traveler]

The other thing you need to know about flaps is that the first 50% extension gives you most of the increase in coefficient of lift, the second 50% gives you most of the increase in drag. When you do need flaps don't use more than you need.

Which aircraft in AH can you put out 50% flaps?  Most of the aircraft in AH use a standard 5 point setting for flaps, the P38 flaps are not modeled correctly, the combat maneuvering setting in the P38 was neither 20% or 30% but somewhere in between, not an option in the AH P38.

[Skyyr]

Which aircraft in AH can you put out 50% flaps?

Ummm... any aircraft that has an even number of flap settings (2, 4, 6, etc.). The Fw 190D-9 is one such aircraft.

[Traveler]

Ummm... any aircraft that has an even number of flap settings (2, 4, 6, etc.). The Fw 190D-9 is one such aircraft.

Again a faulty model, many aircraft and I believe most axis aircraft didn't have pre selected setting for flaps, those with electric motors , the pilot ran the flaps down or up based on his judgment . 

[Randy1]

The best flap tip I was given was to let the flaps do the work and not increase drag by adding elevator unless you have to make a desperate shot.

Which aircraft in AH can you put out 50% flaps?  Most of the aircraft in AH use a standard 5 point setting for flaps, the P38 flaps are not modeled correctly, the combat maneuvering setting in the P38 was neither 20% or 30% but somewhere in between, not an option in the AH P38.

Traveler, in a P-38, the first notch is 50% extension in the real world and 8 degrees of deflection.  After the first notch the deflection really goes up with each notch of extension since the lower rail hits a stop.  In AH the first notch represents the 50% extension and 8 degrees of deflection which is spoke of as the Maneuver flaps.

[Skyyr]

Again a faulty model, many aircraft and I believe most axis aircraft didn't have pre selected setting for flaps, those with electric motors , the pilot ran the flaps down or up based on his judgment .  

Doesn't matter - you asked which aircraft it could be done in, not which models were historically accurate. We're discussing game mechanics here, and FLS is correct as a general rule of thumb.

[FLS]

You guys are missing the point. It's not relevant whether a particular aircraft has a 50% flap setting. The point is before 50% gives you most of the increase in lift coefficient, after 50% gives you the most increase in drag. This is a useful guide for new pilots.

You also should not assume the 4 or 5 flap settings are equally dividing the extension range.

The decision to model flaps with discrete settings is a game design choice. I believe aircraft with variable flap settings generally had markings for flap positions HTC models.