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5 Most Common Aircraft Flap Types (Explained by a CFI)

Northstar VFR

When deployed, they increase the wings lift and drag, allowing the airplane to fly safely at slower speeds. When flaps extend, they increase the camber (curvature) of the wing, which boosts the amount of lift the wing generates. At the same time, flaps create extra drag, which helps slow the airplane down. How Do Flaps Work?

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Tailless Aircraft: How Airplanes Fly Without a Tail

Pilot Institute

This setup makes the wing less efficient overall, but it can reduce drag, weight, and cost compared to using a separate tail. High aspect ratio wings reduce drag and improve performance during climb or slow flight. On the flipside, a decrease in aspect ratio will result in higher drag. Short, wide wings have a low aspect ratio.

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Mach Number Explained: What It Is and Why Pilots Use It

Pilot Institute

Lift, drag, and handling correlate well with IAS in the lower atmosphere. For example, an airliner might indicate only 250 knots at 35,000 feet, but its true airspeed could be over 430 knots. This type of wing redirects the shockwaves further aft on the wing, reducing drag. roughly) up to about Mach 5.0. Safety is also a factor.

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Everything You Need To Know About Ailerons

Pilot Institute

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. The problem is that the aileron can only be deflected to a point after which the drag becomes significant.

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Why Aircraft Sometimes Takeoff With More Flaps Than Usual

Simple Flying

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.