Spoilers or Airbrakes - Whats in a name?

Hi All, just to be pedantic... If you only partially deploy any device,
it has a different aerodynamic characteristic.....

The first stage of Flaps gives an increase in Lift.
Second Stage of Flaps gives Lift And Drag.
Final Stage of Flaps gives Huge amounts of Drag, without any more Lift.

A quick look at your 'Barn Doors' will give you a reasonable idea of
what is likely to happen... I cannot imagine that vertical airbrakes
would ever give an increase in lift, even if only just cracked open a
millimeter or so.

Pilot Pete


At 20:14 16 May 2008, Andy wrote:
On May 16, 8:56=A0am, Mike wrote:
According the the original Glasser-Dirks owner's manual for a DG100G,
the sailplane has "spoilers".

I suspect that the original owner's manual is written in German and
that the word "spoilers" is not mentioned. I don't have my
Schleicher manual here but I think they call them Klappen. Not being
picky for the sake of it, but pointing out that "spoiler" was probably
the word chosen by the translator not necessarily by the manufacturer.

Andy