Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: BBGunn on July 20, 2000, 08:35:00 PM

Title: Dive flaps/breaks??
Post by: BBGunn on July 20, 2000, 08:35:00 PM
Do the dive breaks really do anything to slow the P-38 or 47 down?.  Doesn't look it to me. Speed stays the same.  Trim stays the same.??????
Title: Dive flaps/breaks??
Post by: funked on July 20, 2000, 10:17:00 PM
They are dive flaps, not dive brakes.  They are very small surfaces under the wings.  They slow the plane down a little, but their main purpose is to move the location of shock waves on the aircraft, in order to prevent "Mach tuck" where the horizontal stabilizer and elevators cease to function.
Title: Dive flaps/breaks??
Post by: BBGunn on July 23, 2000, 01:10:00 PM
Yes but do they do anything in AH? When the Fowler flaps were used on P38's it increased the rate of turn some or so says the pilot biographical info.
Title: Dive flaps/breaks??
Post by: Westy on July 24, 2000, 09:12:00 AM
 I love the brake/flap on the P-38. I can quite often zoom down or into a slower bogy, watch them do a break turn, hit my dive brake/flap and I pull right in on them.
 The flap on the 47 helps when youy start hearing those structural groans and you find your controls are embeddedin cement.  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)

-Westy
Title: Dive flaps/breaks??
Post by: -lynx- on July 25, 2000, 07:15:00 AM
Dive flaps are not Fowler flaps - as funked explained they're used to re-distribute airflow around the plane at high speeds.

Flaps - normal, whether Fowler or any other type - are used at low speeds with dramatic effect on lift (Fowler's especially), drag and trim.

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-lynx-
13 Sqn RAF