Innis Cunningham wrote: > Unfortunately the spoiler/speedbrake system/s seem to be much more > complicated than something that can be controlled by one key. The > Boeing 7 series A/C,not including the badge engineered 717, use the > same panels as speedbrakes and spoilers.They act as spoilers in > conjunction with the ailerons and as speedbrakes under the control of > the speedbrake handle in the cockpit.
This terminology is a bit mixed up. The surfaces are spoilers in both circumstances, since they act to spoil the lift from the wing. Sometimes they are used for speed control, because they allow the aircraft to fly at a higher angle of attack without generating extra lift. They are also used for roll control by deflecting them asymmetrically when high roll rates are commanded. But they're still spoilers. There is a third use, too: they are deployed automatically at landing to kill as much wing lift as possible and increase braking effectiveness. Traditionally a "speedbrake" is a drag-only surface mounted on the fuselage. It doesn't affect wing lift. Andy _______________________________________________ Flightgear-devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.flightgear.org/mailman/listinfo/flightgear-devel
