Northstar VFR

MAY 26, 2025

When flaps extend, they increase the camber (curvature) of the wing, which boosts the amount of lift the wing generates. By increasing the camber (curvature) of the wing, it produces more liftat the cost of additional drag. How Do Flaps Work? Some flap types also increase the surface area of the wing.

Camber 52

Camber Drag Lift Airplanes 52

Simple Flying

JUNE 14, 2025

Increasing camber, flaps propel an airliner to lift off at lower speeds, trading a little drag for a lot of lift. One of the most influential cockpit levers on a jet’s take-off is the flap handle. Hinged panels at the wing’s trailing and leading edges transform a sleek airfoil into a low-speed lift sail.

Camber 64

Camber Airfoil Lift Drag 64

Pilot Institute

JUNE 4, 2025

Upward Deflection : Raising both elevons decreases the camber of the wing. Downward Deflection : When the elevons are lowered, the camber increases. The Concorde, though civilian, showcased a delta-wing tailless layout in a supersonic airliner. Lift is reduced, and the nose pitches downward.

Tail 52

Tail Airplanes Weight-Shift-Control Drag 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

From simple mechanical linkages in small aircraft to high-tech fly-by-wire systems in airliners, ailerons have evolved with aviation itself. The asymmetry between the top and bottom surface of the wing is called wing camber. Commercial airliners fly at speeds above 300 knots but also need to be controllable at speeds below 150 knots.

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Ask the Pilot

JUNE 14, 2025

On the other hand, the 787’s aerodynamics are uniquely sculpted, and when the flaps are extended the wings take on a camber, a smoothly downward curve, front-to-back, that makes the flaps less conspicuous than they are on other airplanes. The probability of such a mistake is absurdly low, but it’s bigger than zero.

Air Traffic Control 65

Air Traffic Control Camber Thrust Lift 65