ORIGINAL: Lomcevak Duck
Just curious: Why split flaps? Do you plan to use them as brakes to get down faster for the next tow? If so, that makes good sense.
Actaully, yes- sort of. I know split flaps are not what you want to use for adding lift, but drag. I have designed this plane not to need flaps for takoff and landing because of the afore mentioned wing loading, but I was thinking that it would be interesting to see what the added drag did to the decent angles.
You all are working under a bad assumption. Split flaps work almost identically to plain flaps as far as drag AND lift. Especially at low angles of deployment, such as takeoff settings, there is very little drag increase and essentially the same lift gains.
Split flaps may actually be harder to build than just lopping off the TE and hinging it. If you want lots of drag, do what sailplaners do. Flaps down 90 deg = lots of drag for any flap type. Then reflex ailerons for airbrake/crow/butterfly/whatever.