Speed brakes such as those fitted on a Caravelle was full of holes,  
this provided for more turbulence and hence resistance per square inch  
of surface in the wind.

Alex, kit 529

Enviado de meu iPhone

Em 29/08/2010, às 00:50, Karl Heindl <kheindl@msn.com> escreveu:

>
> Hi motorglider guys.
>
> Has anyone made any changes to their airbrakes ? I find they  
> requires a lot of force to hold them in the fully open position. The  
> air pressure on the bottom half far exceeds that on the top.
> Because of that it is also impossible to get the maximum deflection  
> of 60 degrees. I mounted an angle indicator, and it shows about  
> 45-50, which severely degrades their performance.
> I don't understand why nothing was ever done about this. They have  
> been producing these wings for about 11 years now.
> The obvious solution to me is to reduce the area of the bottom half,  
> either by putting in holes, or trimming back the trailing edge.
> These brakes are not really necessary with the engine running, but  
> are essential when I get to making dead stick landings.
>
> Karl
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