Flaperons

"Robertmudd1u" wrote

On a glider such as the ASW-20 you have to see the interconnect system to
believe it. As the flaps go to positive positions so do the ailerons then
as
the flap is put further down to the landing position the ailerons go back
up to
a neutral or almost neutral setting thus reducing the angle of attack at
the
tips and allowing for better lateral control during the landing roll. When
the
control stick is moved laterally, for roll, the flaps and ailerons deflect
together but at different rates. Truly an amazing system and I always
think of
it whenever someone mentions how "simple" gliders are.

Speaking of gliders, I wonder if any gliders have an arrangement whereby
both ailerons can be moved in unison to a really high negative (up) angle,
in effect acting as spoilers or speedbrakes. This was available on a
Multplex radio control system I had in the late eighties, using electronic
mixing (aileron control was of course still available) . I think it was
called "scarecrow mode" or something similar. The advantage would be that
separate speedbrakes are not needed. But in a full scale glider it might be
hard on the hinges and cause too big wingtip twist?

// N