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Old 11-11-2006 | 05:10 PM
  #65  
pimmnz
 
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Default RE: What does washout means?

I have been following thid thread, mostly out of curiosity, and what follows is not intended to add anything, just FYI.
Spitfires with the original wing, ie up to Mk21's, all had washout, jig built in over the full half span, the wing tips were just a bolt on item depending on the intended mark. This `washout' was 2.5 deg. Spitfire pilots were always very appreciative of the aircraft's stall characteristics, as a really tight fully accelerated turn would shake off most opposing aircraft. I think the only a/c with a better turn was the Hurricane. FW 190's had 3.0 deg washout, 109's didn't have any, didn't need it because they used auto slats to do the same thing. As for flaps, it depends what you want to do. Spit. flaps were only drag devices, either up or 90 deg. down for glidepath control. FW190's had two positions, `lift' about 12 deg down and `Land' around 75 deg down, again just for drag. Early 109's had full camber changing devices, even the ailerons drooped at full flap. P47's had `proper' Fowler `extend and droop' things for camber control because they needed them, without flaps it wouldn't leave the ground, and couldn't slow down enough to land. IMHO small pointy wing tips need washout, wide straight ones don't. Models only need flaps when they start to get a bit heavy and big and need camber/drag control to get into typical model strips. More moving bits equals more weight, better to build lighter than add complexity and weight.