A thought just crossed my mind while building the Skywriter biplane wings. I have chosen to install 4 HS55 servos in the wings.
Can I make the top wing respond to flapperon (or flap) setting while the lower wing continues to respond as an aileron for landing? Don't worry about the "how?" to do it. Especially don't worry about the "why?". This is just a theoretical aerodynamic question.
I know flapperon is dangerous on a monoplane with full span ailerons because it has the effect of adding "wash-in" into the wing.
This seems to have the best of both worlds.
Yes Andy, I will now return to my workshop and shut up.
Frank
If Simon H. reads one more article on aerodynamics he will become our resident expert. :D
I imagine that Right Up Aileron and Right Down Flap would negate each other and also slow the wing down a huge amount while the opposite wing would have both down which would exert tremendous force. I think you would have a massive yaw on one wing while the other was trying to roll at a rapid rate.
It makes no sense which is probably why it's never been used before. I know that's a "why" but I don't care.
Jack.
Who let Jack loose from quarantine north-east of the city? ;D
Frank
I think in theory that yes, it would work.
Use bottom wing for flaps and top for ailerons.
just bassed on intuition!
I can see Jack's point about cancellation but I am leaning towards Simon's view.
If one wing acts as a flap with both ailerons down then the plane is in a new stable flight condition. When the second wing is deflected and acting as an aileron it will handle the roll axis but on a low rate setting since only half the aileron area is being deflected.
I would love to try it but why invent a new way of crashing.
Frank
Another thing to consider is the drag. Biplanes with all there struts and rigging have much more drag than a monoplane of the same area. The use of flaps on a lightly built biplane might make it slow too much requiring it to be powered right to the ground(something you should be an expert at Frank!)
Instead of flaps I would consider adding a little spoiler to all surfaces to lessen the stall. Again as above just a thought
With normal stagger (top wing ahead) then it might be safer topuse the top wing as the flapped one.
The flapped wing will stall first dues to the higher AOA, so the nose will drop.
The other way around could result in the tail dropping in a stall, which would not end well. :o
Pat MacKenzie
It's so easy!
Just remember that the bottom is twice as less.
Sheesh.
How about some hard questions?
Ken