RCU Forums - A question about flaps

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Globemaster3c17

I'll try that on my flights today. I really don't see how that could work considering the normal amount of forward pressure required to keep the nose leve while extending flaps is really light, and lasts but a couple seconds. It takes a good amount of time or a lot of force on the elevator to get the nose up to 35*, not to mention the fact that as soon as the speed goes down, the elevator trim would allow the nose to drop on it's own some to maintain speed. I've got a couple flights coming up today, so I should be able to try that out.

I understand your reluctance to buy 35 degrees, but perhaps you would consider phrasing your doubt in a way that does not appear to call into question my integrity or my competence. If you think I look like my avatar, I can understand you doubting my competence. :D Perhaps I should have shot a video to remove all doubt.

Off-the-cuff, I asked a pilot friend of mine how much pitch up he would expect in that situation, and he guessed about 10 degrees. I would not have guessed 35 degrees. I think relatively few pilots have ever extended flaps without applying any correction at all. It's just not natural. But I'm an inquisitive type, and if I am going to make a definitive statement, I would rather make it with hard fact, numbers and observations than unproven or unprovable opinion. If I offer an opinion, I normally imply a qualification as such.

If you get the same results, then our observations will support each other. If you do not get the same results, it does not mean that I can't read a pitch ladder. I have no doubt that my observation was correct, within a conservative margin of error of perhaps 2 KIAS and 2 degrees of pitch. If you do not fly solo, I expect your results to vary from mine at least slightly. Your CG would likey be farther forward than mine was, your gross weight would be higher if you carried the same fuel I did, and I would expect a lower pitch up. How much lower I cannot predict.