Since you'r at it Stoney why don't you comment my earlier post too:
"What is the difference in flap designs to enable others to deploy only at <200mph and others at 400mph? I'd does seem that it is an artificial limitation based on manual recommendations, not the actual structure and its strength since that kind of data is hard to get."
I don't know. I assume different types of actuating mechanisms are inherently stronger (and probably heavier) than others. From what I understand, it is all about manual (or other documentation, like supplemental operating instructions) limitations. If the documentation says no flap use above 250 mph, then that's what we have in-game. If the documentation says something like "up to 20% flaps may be used at 350 mph IAS" then that's what we have in-game. Its just like the F4U landing gear door thing. Yeah, there might be another aircraft that you can drop the gear at 400mph and not have it ripped off, but its the only aircraft in the game where the manual says you can do it without ripping it off.
I cannot think of anything that would prevent any plane from using "some" flaps for maneuvering, if the system supports partial deployment as eg. in Spit it doesn't but again bf109 gives you opportunity to deploy any amount of flaps you possibly want, except the strength of flap system or the flap itself.
Agreed, but we don't know, and HTC has to draw a line somewhere. We don't know whether or not it would have damaged the system or not, because it wasn't approved beyond a certain speed.
"have you found any instructions on using flaps for maneuvering?"
"You mean with respect to what speed you should be able to use them, or how to maximize their effectiveness?"
Have you found a n y instructions?
-C+
I haven't looked exhaustively...
EDIT: P-38 POH limits the use of "maneuvering flaps" (which is 50% of full flaps) to 250 mph IAS and full flaps to 150 mph IAS. So, you can go test whether or not there is fidelity with that restriction in-game, just make sure you're looking at IAS when you do it. If you can keep 3 notches of flaps beyond 250mph IAS, we'll know there's an issue...