Common types include the Fowler flaps of a Cessna 172, slotted flaps of a Piper Cherokee and
split flaps of the Cessna 310.
2) Flaps control: Opens the
split flaps under wings to slow down.
But what about the utility of slips and slipping turns for
split flaps, jammed ailerons or a jammed rudder?
Plain and split flaps create an effective increase in wing area by increasing chord, are reasonably easy to manufacture and are lighter than other designs, but perhaps not as effective.
Plain and split flaps can, to varying degrees, cause an airplane to pitch down when deployed, a factor of how they increase drag aft of the center of lift.
The split flap is a cousin to the plain flap, except the only part hinged downward is a panel under the wing's trailing edge; the upper portion of the trailing edge remains in place--only the bottom pivots down, much like a plain flap.
Split flaps are scary, especially when they occur in a bank.
(An older plane on a hot day might just hold altitude, though.) It's the third type, split flaps, that'll really get your attention.
Ten-degree split flaps are relatively easy to deal with; 30 or 40 degrees is another matter.
