So combat flaps?

[Bobert]

What are they used for?

I don't really know much about flaps that much so.

I kinda wanna know. Please and thank you!

(American planes mostly).

[Eftwyrd]

increase lift at the expense of more drag, good for turning which isnt something you will be looking to do in US aircraft

[Bobert]

Originally posted by Eftwyrd:

increase lift at the expense of more drag, good for turning which isnt something you will be looking to do in US aircraft

Well I mean it would be good to use when there turning slightly and I over zooming over there.

I think.

[Jaes]

Combat flaps help produce tighter turns/maunvers by creating more lift for your aircraft at the cost of your airspeed. There are three stages to flaps:

Combat Flaps: Minor change in air speed, produces tighter turns

Take Off Flaps: Moderate change in air speed, produces the most lift to help with take off from a run way, not viable for prolonged dogfights, but can give you a slight edge for a few seconds on a turn

Landing Flaps: Heavy change in air speed, don't use unless you're using a manuver like the Hammerhead to drop air speed asap/landing.

Not all planes have three stages of flaps. Most Spitfires for example either only have landing and/or take off flaps. All planes also have different speed tolerances for flaps. If you're going too fast, you can tear your flaps right off (which causes stability problems). However, learning to use the right flap setting in the right situations will give you wonderful advantages. For example, the Typhoon only has landing flaps, but if you apply them correctly, they can do some pretty insane low energy manuvers that'll baffle opponets. You can also generally toggle flaps on and off briefly on planes that only have one setting to simulate Combat Flaps. Very subjective to the plane.

[Rei]

Make you turn faster, but you also slow your speed down due to drag.

[The One True Git]

People say not to use flaps on US planes but in the right hands it makes them leaps and bounds better than every other prop in the game. For instance, using a combination of landing gear and combat flaps in quick succession on nearly any of the corsairs turns you into a big plane with great firepower that is almost twice as fast as any non griffon spitfire but turn almost as well as a zero in a sustained turn. I reiterate though, you need very conditioned discipline to pull this off effectively.

[Jaes]

Originally posted by TheHashSlingingSlasher:

People say not to use flaps on US planes but in the right hands it makes them leaps and bounds better than every other prop in the game. For instance, using a combination of landing gear and combat flaps in quick succession on nearly any of the corsairs turns you into a big plane with great firepower that is almost twice as fast as any non griffon spitfire but turn almost as well as a zero in a sustained turn. I reiterate though, you need very conditioned discipline to pull this off effectively.

I don't like using that technique on the lower tier Corsairs, but on the F4U-4 Corsiars... Mmmm. I would like to see the baffled expersions on inexperienced enemy pilots that aren't familiar with the U-4 Corsairs when they out roll their aircraft and line up their gun sights.

[The One True Git]

Originally posted by Jaes:

Originally posted by TheHashSlingingSlasher:

People say not to use flaps on US planes but in the right hands it makes them leaps and bounds better than every other prop in the game. For instance, using a combination of landing gear and combat flaps in quick succession on nearly any of the corsairs turns you into a big plane with great firepower that is almost twice as fast as any non griffon spitfire but turn almost as well as a zero in a sustained turn. I reiterate though, you need very conditioned discipline to pull this off effectively.

I don't like using that technique on the lower tier Corsairs, but on the F4U-4 Corsiars... Mmmm. I would like to see the baffled expersions on inexperienced enemy pilots that aren't familiar with the U-4 Corsairs when they out roll their aircraft and line up their gun sights.

Its sooooooo damn satisfying to see the visible panic on some cocky LF spitfire pilots plane when they start to wobble after you effortlessly stick to their ass in a descending spiral.

[Wales Grey]

Originally posted by Bobert:

Originally posted by Eftwyrd:

increase lift at the expense of more drag, good for turning which isnt something you will be looking to do in US aircraft

Well I mean it would be good to use when there turning slightly and I over zooming over there.

I think.

no.

y'see, flaps adjust the camber of the wing's cross-section - basically you're increasing drag to provide extra lift. this lift is useful in a couple of situations, including but not limited to:

• taking off (particularly from a carrier or with a short runway or if you have an obstructed takeoff)
• landing (the extra drag helps you slow down appropriately and the extra lift at low speeds keeps your plane in controlled flight)
• you need to get extra lift to make a maneuver (i.e. avoiding hills on hard probably-shouldn't-have-even-tried passes against low targets)
• pitching the nose up when your tail control is jammed/damaged (good luck landing the plane without an elevator)

as a rule you shouldn't fly around with flaps down, and any turn/firing solution you need flaps to "make" is typically a deathtrap bad idea if there's other planes nearby or could be cut better with a different set of inputs/angles. of course there are times when you can use flaps to seal the deal on a deflection/turn shot and if you're safe - go for it. this is one of those things where you won't know until you practice.

[The One True Git]

Originally posted by Kaetetôã Bird Warrior:

Originally posted by Bobert:

Well I mean it would be good to use when there turning slightly and I over zooming over there.

I think.

no.

y'see, flaps adjust the camber of the wing's cross-section - basically you're increasing drag to provide extra lift. this lift is useful in a couple of situations, including but not limited to:

• taking off (particularly from a carrier or with a short runway or if you have an obstructed takeoff)
• landing (the extra drag helps you slow down appropriately and the extra lift at low speeds keeps your plane in controlled flight)
• you need to get extra lift to make a maneuver (i.e. avoiding hills on hard probably-shouldn't-have-even-tried passes against low targets)
• pitching the nose up when your tail control is jammed/damaged (good luck landing the plane without an elevator)

as a rule you shouldn't fly around with flaps down, and any turn/firing solution you need flaps to "make" is typically a deathtrap bad idea if there's other planes nearby or could be made better, with less energy loss a different way.

Thats why you dont screw up your shot when you UFO on their ass in the corsair >:D