9.12: Edit Flaps / Adjustment
This chapter covers editing flaps. Every segment has the flap functionality
implemented. The left and right depth of flap is pre-set to 25% of chord. The
flap deflection angle is initially set to 0°.
The number for the group of flap is 0; 0 means single flap.
Flap deflection:
Any flap can deflect with an angle of +-45°. A negative sign means a deflection
upwards.
There are three possibilities to set flap deflection.
First you can enter the flap deflection angle into the input field 'Flap Angle
[°]'. Second, near the input fields are Up/Down-buttons located. They can be
used to change the flap deflection angle with mouse clicks. A click on the
right mouse button pops up a menu to set the increment between 0.00001° and 1°.
A third possibility is the slide control below the input field.
The button 'all Flaps to neutral' sets all flaps of the active wing to 0°.
The following picture shows a flap deflection of -30° with the left flap and
+30° with the right flap. The depth of flap is set to 25% of chord.
Depth of Flaps left and right:
The left and right depth of flap can be set from 0% to 100% of respective
chord. Enter the depth of flaps into input fields 'Flap depth Left [%]' and
'Flap depth Right [%]'.
Near the input fields are Up/Down-buttons located. They can be used to change
the flap depth with mouse clicks.
A click on the right mouse button pops up a menu to set the increment between 0.00001%
and 1%.
The following picture shows a wing with strongly exaggerated flap deflections.
The depth of flaps are (from left to right):
Segment 0 with L: 25% / R: 25%.
Segment 1 with L: 80% / R: 80%.
Segment 2 with L: 50% / R: 0%.
Segment 3 with L: 0% / R: 100%.
Group of Flaps:
In some cases it is desirable, if two or more flaps could be coupled, e.g.
horizontal stabilizer, plain flaps or airbrakes, which than deflect with the
same angle. This can be obtained by assigning these flaps to one group of
flaps.
The group number will be entered into the input
field 'Group of Flaps'. Near the input field are Up/Down-buttons located. They
can be used to change the group number with mouse clicks. Valid values are
>0, 0 means single (uncoupled) flaps.
If for example the deflection angle of a flap with group number 1 is changed,
all other flaps with the same group number will deflect in the same way.
Below the input field for the group number is an input field 'Group of Flaps /
Functional description' located. In this field a short description of the group
like horizontal stabilizer or aileron left should be entered.
With the total polar computations these comments are filled into the input list
as well as into the output of polars to keep track of the functionality of flap
groups.
In the following picture the airplane has a wing and a horizontal stabilizer.
The flap group numbers are marked. If you operate one flap of group 1 the other
flap of group 1 will also move, plain flap of wing in this example. The same
applies to the horizontal stabilizer, because both flaps have group number 2.
Both ailerons of wing have group number 0 and do
not affect each other. They are single flaps which can be operated
independently.
Inverse function:
Beside the slide control is a checkbox labelled 'inverse' located. It is used
to invert the flaps sense of rotation. This function is useful if one has
segments with a dihedral of over 90° or if one wants to use a segment as a
vertical stabilizer.