On Thursday, September 25, 2003, at 01:20 pm, Erik Hofman wrote:
One thing I've never been clear on - is there a distinction between 'things you deploy in the air' and 'thing you deploy on touchdown'? I know the things I call spoilers on the wings of big jets can be extended in flight to slow the aircraft, as well as auto-deploying (more?) on touchdown to kill lift + decelerate.Speed brakes are on the top of the wing ( the extrados ? ) and can be used flying,
On civilian aircraft and gliders this is usually the case. Military types can have them in different places - such as the F16 (on top of the fuselage?), the Buccaneer (opening tail cone) etc.
F-15 : top of the fuselage. F-16 : horizontally along the fuselage, between the horizontal tail and turbine compartment, at the end of the strakes.
But, I can't imagine deploying the split tail brake of the Fokker 100 while in the air .... is this actually ok, or is there some definite separation of usage?
I'm not really sure about the Fokker 100 (I *think* it is okay to deploy them in-air), but the F-16 definatelly allows for in-air deployement. For the F-16 it is even used to prevent the aircraft to go in an uncontrollable state by taking advantage of the pitching moment created by deplying the speed brake.
On a related point, do any of the FDMs / FlightGear model an increase in buffet / vibration / noise when deploying spoilers (or indeed, lots of flap) at high speed?
Not that I'm aware of. The F-104 buffet characteristics at high speed seem to be quite realistic though.
For thrust reversers, as well as a sleeve, you also get two (or more?) segments of the exhaust pipe that pivot at their rear end, to redirect the thrust. I think the fokker has this type of reverser. Playing with google image search turned up the following: (2nd is especially nice)
Yep. Look at the Fokker 100 in external vier and press Ctrl-B ...
http://www.thrustair.com/dc9_thrust_reverser.jpg www.robl.w1.com/Pix-4/ C970493.jpg
Anyway, the sooner FG / the FDMs / the planes support more of these devices, the happier I'll be - because I habitually fly my approaches too fast, and auto-spoilers really help stick the plane to the ground :-)
I would suggest not trying to fly the F-16 then, it is almost impossible to stop!
Erik
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