Schweizer 1-35 and other flapped sailplanes

and that is the main problem with flaps. Once you have them out and
your energy is down, there's little recourse. With spoilers, you can
always slap them closed and return to high performance configuration.


Flaps are great but spoilers are better.

This is the mentality we are talking about. The "spoilers are better"
mentality. What I see wrong with this is the energy shouldn't be blead
off until flair, just like spoilers. The flaps can be dumped if the
airspeed is still there, just like spoilers. The float will be minimal
if the flaps are cranked in as they should be. If you're using 45
degrees... yep... it's gonna float all the way down the runway. The
flaps should be pulled to max during flair if they're not there
already, and should be dumped only at ground contact to facilitate
aileron control for the rest of the landing run - which should be short
if you used the flaps and slowed during flair. Better than spoilers?
Not in my opinion. Spoilers better than flaps? No to that one as well.

Again, I would stress that either one can be used effectively, with the
flaps having a short field advantage for outlandings.

Both is best. You'll get no argument from anyone on that one.

Jack Womack