ORIGINAL: rcrmel
Please help. On the small cap with flaperons. [strip ailerons that work with flaps]. When the flaps are deployed even very slightly with or without elevator input the airplane actually dives instead of lifting. The speed was slow enough to keep the plane airborne. Why??? What is happening??? I hope I have explained this correctly if not please let me know. Thanks. Mel.
When you deploy the flaps, you change the wing's airfoil into one that has more positive pitching moment than it had with the flaps up. This makes the plane pitch down. Take a look at the pitch control for tailless flying wing aircraft. There is no difference between your flaperons and a flying wing's elevons. They do the same thing.