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RV Flaps when Parking

J

jwright

I'm New Here
Hey folks, I'm a newbie poster to this forum. I'm leaning heavily towards building an RV-10, and have been doing a lot of research on builder's logs.

One recurring thing that I've noticed in many pics of parked RV's is that the flaps are deployed when the plane is parked. What's the reason for this? Keeping people from stepping on it?

Thanks in advance. This board has already been a great source of information.

Jesse Wright
N4372X
PA-28-140
 
Keep the flaps down....

Getting in and out of the airplane makes it easier with them down and the other animals that crawl around on them. AJ
 
Many people will tell you that it makes getting in and out much easier, which it does. But, that's not the real reason. The real reason is that, with the flaps down, you can't see that the flaps and ailerons have a twist to them and don't line up perfectly. :)
 
Flaps down for easy in and out!

Some things never change...

I love the humor there about trailing edges, etc. It sounds as if he struggled with getting them straight.

With the flaps down, there is less chance of doing damage to them if your foot slips off the wing, etc. Of course, if that happens, you could find your body on the ground in an unusual attitude. Ask me how I know....

One time, during final assembly at the airport, before my flaps were installed, I was dismounting from the left wing and missed the step with my right foot. I held on to the slider rail just in front of my open canopy and scraped my right wrist. It was one of many times where my blood, sweat, and tears became a part of my RV-9A project.

As for mimizing damage to the flaps, yeah, having them down means anything that falls on them will have less chance of producing a dent in the skin or a bend in the trailing edge. And no, the trailing edge is not wavy, that is just the compression of the photo file below.

DSCM0206.JPG


Jerry K. Thorne
East Ridge, TN
RV-9A N2PZ
 
After a year of flying my RV, I am still having trouble getting into the habit of parking with my flaps down, although I think it is the right thing to do - for ease of entry and exit if nothing else. I don't like to taxi with my flaps down (old habit - I really don't know why not...), so I automatically raise them leaving the runway. That means I have to add yet another cycle to the flap motor at the parking spot. I hate adding cycles to motors and systems if I don't have to.....anyobdy wearing out flap motors on a regular basis?

Paul
 
Most of us are trained to put the flaps up so we don't take off while taxiing! This probably isn't quite as a big of a problem in the RV compared to the 150 or 172. But one thing I can say it is a lot easier getting in an RV with the flaps down. The RV-10 does have a step so you won't have to step to the wing first.
 
Paul, I think that I too may have a hard time getting into the habit of lowering flaps... or leaving them down when clearing the runway. The cycles thing I agree with too.

In addition, I DON'T like the idea of taxiing with them down! Blowing debris into them and lightening the airplane off the gear are two real good reasons to retract!

Unfortunately, this means the additional cycles.

Oh, such a conundrum!

:eek: CJ
 
Additionally, I was taught that it means the aircraft is in distress when you taxi with them down.
Don't know if it's still holds true, but it's one more reason.
 
Paul Thomas said:
Additionally, I was taught that it means the aircraft is in distress when you taxi with them down.
Don't know if it's still holds true, but it's one more reason.
Click to expand...
I was taught the same thing.
 
Flaps up when parked !

I was thinking about am external canopy lock with an integrated switch. You leave the flaps lowered to get out, when you lock the canopy the flaps go up automatically, so the plane looks like it should look, when parked. :)

When you want to get in, you unlock the canopy, the flaps come down and stepping on the wing is easy!.

Then a second thought came to me: why not an electric drive to open the (slider) canopy automatically also? Maybe the weight of the drive would be a thing to consider?.:rolleyes:

But oh.... thought number 3: then I need a remote control, like I have for my car,....... the landing lights flash twice, the flaps come down and the canopy opens,......... cool!:cool:

OK, still a while to thinker about this one. Just started on the fuselage.

Happy building, you all,

PilotTonny.

 
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Taxiing with flaps down indicates distress?? That's new to me. Lots of airliners in distress taxiing to their departure runway!! ;)

I don't park with flaps down unless giving someone who might have a problem stepping up or down, at a fly-in or other place where someone might step on my flaps.
 
What happened to the manual flaps? If that option were still available, I would go manual with no second thoughts... :rolleyes:
 
Flaps full down can be interpreted as a plane that has been hijacked,, Had a friend do it shortly after 9-11 and had a few friends meet him on the way to the gate.. I don't think it is widely used or known, and I think it is more a commercial airplane thing..
Chris
 
Chad, manual flaps went the way of the dinosaurs!

Good thing for you, really. You would waffle over that one for at LEAST a month!

:p CJ
 
Captain_John said:
Chad, manual flaps went the way of the dinosaurs!

Good thing for you, really. You would waffle over that one for at LEAST a month!

:p CJ
Click to expand...
Mmmmm waffles!! Hmmm, maybe pancakes...NO! French toast! No... :rolleyes: :p
 
Flaps = Hijacking

Will Womack said:
I was taught that flaps down = highjacking. But I don't think its valid anymore.
Click to expand...

According to ICAO rules (the military publication are the Flight Information Handbook and the GP-1), one of the international signs for "I've been hijacked" is to taxi in with your flaps down. Another of course is to squawk 7500 or to say "squawking 7500" on the radio.

But I'm pretty sure that no tower controller is going to assuming you've been hijacked when you taxi in with your flaps down. At least, it's never happened to me. :)
 
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