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Flaperons reduce adverse yaw?

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Old 12-12-2009, 11:47 PM
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Default Flaperons reduce adverse yaw?

The PHAN states the following in the flight controls section:

"In an attempt to reduce the effects of adverse yaw, manufacturers have engineered four systems: differential ailerons, frise-type ailerons, coupled ailerons and rudder, and flaperons."

I understand how the first 3 listed counter adverse yaw, but how do flaperons assist in reducing adverse yaw? From what I've read they are simply ailerons that can be lowered together to act as flaps while still being able to move in opposite directions for roll control. I can't figure how this reduces adverse yaw?? The PHAN doesn't give an explanation.
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Old 12-13-2009, 08:17 AM
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Apply your knowledge of differential ailerons, why do we use them?

Background: The downward deflection of the ailerons is about 15 degrees and the upward is about 20 degrees in most trainer aircraft.

Now think about the size of a surface. If we have a 3 foot long aileron going down, will it have to deflect more or less than a 6 foot long aileron to achieve the same result? Apply your answer to the flaps combined with the ailerons for turning.

Finally, apply what you have learned in weight and balance about arm. Do flaps have more or less arm than ailerons? So would they effect adverse yaw more or less, that is, would they have a greater moment?

Hope that helps.
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Old 12-14-2009, 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by shdw
Apply your knowledge of differential ailerons, why do we use them?

Background: The downward deflection of the ailerons is about 15 degrees and the upward is about 20 degrees in most trainer aircraft.

Now think about the size of a surface. If we have a 3 foot long aileron going down, will it have to deflect more or less than a 6 foot long aileron to achieve the same result? Apply your answer to the flaps combined with the ailerons for turning.

Finally, apply what you have learned in weight and balance about arm. Do flaps have more or less arm than ailerons? So would they effect adverse yaw more or less, that is, would they have a greater moment?

Hope that helps.
Thanks - I think that helps.

Last edited by gestrich19; 12-14-2009 at 01:33 PM.
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Old 12-16-2009, 09:58 PM
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Originally Posted by gestrich19
Thanks - I think that helps.
Think? Explain how you understand it and we can see if it worked, if you'd like.
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Old 12-18-2009, 05:34 PM
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Your explanation makes sense - The moments from ailerons mounted more inboard (flaperons usually) should equal less drag moments.

The only part that throws me a litte is just as there would be decreased drag moments around the vertical axis, there also would be decreased moments around the longitudinal axis... To me- this should require greater aileron deflection to roll the aircraft at the same rate as an aircraft with outboard ailerons??
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Old 12-18-2009, 06:39 PM
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Originally Posted by gestrich19
The only part that throws me a litte is just as there would be decreased drag moments around the vertical axis, there also would be decreased moments around the longitudinal axis... To me- this should require greater aileron deflection to roll the aircraft at the same rate as an aircraft with outboard ailerons??
Yes. Someone can correct me if I am wrong here, as I am not positive on this one, but most aircraft using flaperons still have outboard ailerons using flaps to assist. Hope that makes sense. Point is, they don't take the ailerons off the aircraft, they are used as an assist.
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Old 12-18-2009, 08:33 PM
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Originally Posted by shdw
Yes. Someone can correct me if I am wrong here, as I am not positive on this one, but most aircraft using flaperons still have outboard ailerons using flaps to assist. Hope that makes sense. Point is, they don't take the ailerons off the aircraft, they are used as an assist.
I'll support you on this one, shdw. I graduated from a world-class aeronautical engineering college a few years ago. While that is fascinatingly the case, we hardly ever talked about "flaperons"; I remember only one professor even mentioning them the entire 3 years I was there. I cannot think of any aircraft that uses them either; but that obviously is my weakness on the subject since there are some in existence. They are flaps that can also act as ailerons, and they act independently of one another as well as in tandem. As explained, anything located close to the fuselage has a shorter moment arm. With a shorter moment arm there must be less of an effect on any axis of movement.

As an aside, the term "moment arm" is synonymous with "leverage"- they mean the same thing.
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