Flaperons

[Kenji 1949]

I have been playing around with some home made stuff to get better used to radio set ups for future use. I am just getting into jets, am interested in the Freewing F/A-18-4s 64mm PNP. Has anyone mixed in ailerons to be used as flaps to help slow down for landings. got laughed at when I asked this to other flyers, no answers, at least not from this group. Just asking to see if my idea would work or am I asking for disaster??? Thanks in advance for any decent relies which may be forth coming.

[Gilatrout]

I know of someone that did this on the new eflite SU-30. I don't have any specifics for you, but it worked and in my opinion the takeoffs and landings looked more scale.

[xviper]

Planes that have only ailerons (no dedicated flaps), especially some jets, can benefit from having flaperons. For example, my old 90mm F-16 couldn’t get off the ground from our old grass runway and it landed like a rocket. Flaperons made it possible to take off and land more comfortably. Same with my current FlexJet. However, having flaperons does also demand some consideration to servo overdrive. As flaps are deployed more, lower rates must be implemented. Remember that flaps go down and ailerons go both ways. If you have lots of flaps and then you use your aileron deflection to the same extent, the side that goes down can be overdriven and cause servo issues or even damage. On the planes that I have flaperons in use, 1/2 flaps also requires a reduction in aileron travel (rate). Full flaps requires even more reduction.

[Hugh Wiedman]

Planes that have only ailerons (no dedicated flaps), especially some jets, can benefit from having flaperons. For example, my old 90mm F-16 couldn’t get off the ground from our old grass runway and it landed like a rocket. Flaperons made it possible to take off and land more comfortably. Same with my current FlexJet. However, having flaperons does also demand some consideration to servo overdrive. As flaps are deployed more, lower rates must be implemented. Remember that flaps go down and ailerons go both ways. If you have lots of flaps and then you use your aileron deflection to the same extent, the side that goes down can be overdriven and cause servo issues or even damage. On the planes that I have flaperons in use, 1/2 flaps also requires a reduction in aileron travel (rate). Full flaps requires even more reduction.

Completely agree with everything xviper said regarding flap deflection. I use flaperons on my new Freewing 90mm F-16 as just like xviper, it was difficult to get off the ground on our grass runway, even with the upgraded inrunner. Just using 15mm of deflection for take-off flaps cut the runway travel almost in half and landing flaps at 22mm allowed it to land at a much slower speed at achieve a high alpha landing much more consistently. I also programmed flaperons into the new 70mm twin E-Flight SU-30, with similar deflections and used a 7th channel for a dedicated speed brake switch. I also use a heavier battery than some, the Admiral 6000mah, so flaperons helped greatly.

You're not asking for disaster setting up flaperons, however, the 64mm F-18 may be light enough to get off the ground without them and have a much lighter wing loading than the larger F-16 or SU-30 so not sure you need them for landing either. I suggest you go ahead and get the 64mm F-18 and fly it stock first to see if you need a shorter take-off distance and slower landing speed before you bother setting it up for flaperons. Hope this isn't your first jet, as I would recommend the 80mm Avanti and a great trainer for jets, which comes with flaps. I can tell you that if you use a Spektrum transmitter, setting up flaperons is super easy. You just need to plug the right aileron into channel 2 and the left into channel 6 and select wing type as flaperons. Most likely the jet will come with both the left and right aileron servo leads going into a y connector and into channel 2. If some of the other pilots are laughing at you for suggesting flaperons, they don't know squat and you'll be able to laugh back at them when you take off in half the distance and land like a butterfly!

[Kenji 1949]

Thank you Hugh Wiedman + Xviper for your input to my flapperons information request. I haven't purchased the Jet yet, just thinking ahead from what research I have done with the FW FA-18. This will be my first Jet, but have a really good flyer to instruct me when the time comes, he's just not into customizing or changing things. Your input is greatly appreciated. There s just too much snow and too cold to be out flying at the moment, Still have a few months to tinker around and see what I can come up with. Thanks again. Ken J. Bird

[Hugh Wiedman]

As I said earlier, if it is your first jet, I would recommend getting the 80mm Avanti S first. It lands easily, cruises at 50% throttle and will get you used to the higher speeds and quicker movements of jets vs prop planes. It's the best jet "trainer" I've seen or flown but also performs any maneuver or hits high speed when you're ready. It's always the first jet I fly in the morning if it's "jet day" before moving on to more challenging jets cause it gets you ready with confidence. Not sure what the 64mm F-18 flies like but would guess that it poses a few more challenges, especially if you're introducing flaperons.

[Aussie1]

Thank you Hugh Wiedman + Xviper for your input to my flapperons information request. I haven't purchased the Jet yet, just thinking ahead from what research I have done with the FW FA-18. This will be my first Jet, but have a really good flyer to instruct me when the time comes, he's just not into customizing or changing things. Your input is greatly appreciated. There s just too much snow and too cold to be out flying at the moment, Still have a few months to tinker around and see what I can come up with. Thanks again. Ken J. Bird

I have a HSD F16 and mixed flaperons in and it made a huge difference.

[terrygrau]

Another option is programing flaperons but using differential on the ailerons up to 100%, so that you only get up aileron/flap travel, to eliminate tipstalling at high alpha.