Flaps down on shutdown?

[Dean Pichon]

Originally Posted by DanH

Another +1. Lots of theoretical justifications, but number of cycles is a sure fact.

Hi Dan,

It's not clear to me how this would save cycles. (Reducing flap cycles and the risk of damage while taxiing with the flaps down are the key issues for me.)

I deploy (fully) the flaps on my -4 while landing and retract them during roll-out. They stay retracted until the landing phase of the next flight, so one cycle per flight.

If you leave them down after landing (and are ok with taxing while they are down), I would still expect they would be retracted (at least mostly) before the next take-off. Either way, it's one cycle per flight.

Perhaps we are both on the same side of the fence on this one, but it's hard to get below one cycle per flight if you use the flaps at all.

Regards,

Dean

[Toobuilder]

Yep, I don't get the cycles thing either... Flaps down to land, retract as I exit the runway, they stay up until the next landing... That's one cycle per flight unless my math is wrong.

[JDeanda]

Didja ever notice that when a P-51 is parked, the flaps and inboard gear doors are down? There’s no hydraulic pressure to hold them up when the engine isn't running. So whenever we park our RV-6, we leave the flaps down so it looks like a P-51. Fools everybody. No, really. Well, really it's to keep people from stepping on them, same as everybody else. Little kids can’t read and not all adults understand what “NO STEP” means on an airplane. Some old British airplanes said “NO TO BE WALKED ON.” Descriptive but kind of long. I’ve thought about making up a graphic of a barefoot silhouette footprint with the international red circle and diagonal slash over it. One of these days....

[KJBSouth]

Landing and shut down check lists:
Up after exiting runway
Down before disembarking

Engine start check list:
Up before starting

Hangared so no wind concern.

[Ralph Inkster]

Going on memory, sketchy at best - OSHKOSH unofficial visual survey would be 80% down, 20% up.
What's your survey tally?

[koupster]

Originally Posted by Ralph Inkster

OSHKOSH unofficial visual survey would be 80% down, 20% up.

This RV-6A owner may have skewed the Oshkosh survey, since I raise my flaps if tied down outside and high winds are possible. High winds are actually probable during the week of Airventure. Don't like the RV sitting there in short field takeoff configuration when the winds come up. Flaps are raised after unpacking the airplane in this case.

Otherwise, the flaps come up (or to short/soft field takeoff position) before engine start, and stay down after landing unless taxiing on gravel. This facilitates ingress and egress, and minimises damage to the flaps.

Pilots of conventional gear RV's have good reason to retract flaps after landing and leave them there.

Cheers, David
RV-6A KBTF

[JTJones]

Here’s what my placard looks like!

[Ralph Inkster]

Yeh, my highly skewered survey would be based on RVs parked in HBD & HBC facing east (most nasty weather I've experienced there came out of the west), & reflected planes parked, not starting or moving.

Next question for tied down planes, Elevators locked neutral, down, or up (stick tied back)? Again considering facing east & weather ripping in from the west!

[Toobuilder]

...I dont want the tower thinking I'm a hijack in progress because I'm "giving the sign" and they roll the anti terror squad!

[plehrke]

Like all these questions that actually vary based on how you fly and not just preference, if land on long paved runways really no reason to raise flaps on roll out to facilitate braking and/or reduce potential debris damage. Also if flying an A then really less chance of debris damage than tail dragger.

After touchdown I roll out and taxi with flaps down. I don’t retract flaps until master switch turned on to prior to engine start for the next flight.