Story: 'The Ultimate Christmas Gift.' (5 chapters)

[Mantaspook 14]

Hi Coyleys,

 

to raise flaps without thrust would cause additional drag and so have the adverse effect.

 

When an aircraft is coming into land, lowering the flaps effectively alters the camber of the wing, extra lift is generated, so is extra drag therefore the aircraft is able to slow down and still stay airborne at a slower speed.

 

Conversly, if the flaps are raised (ie: retracted back into the wing) the lift and drag both decrease, If this happens when you are going very slow already the airflow over the wing may not be fast enough to generate lift and so the wing stalls.

 

In the space shuttles case we were both right, it’s not a ‘real’ aircraft but actually a ‘lifting body’ – technically it doesn’t even have proper flaps, it has a split elevon system (combined elevator / aileron) on the wing, if both of the inboard elevons are lowered (like flaps) the nose does indeed pitch down so your story was correct, but the control surface is really doing the job of an elevator. The body flap which protects the engine nozzles (see website below) works in the same way.

So a housepoint each for both being right!

 

I found this site. It’s brilliant! There’s also a very good account of what the shuttle gets up to on re-entry. If you want to come around for a few beers and to play with some shuttle models one night you’re very welcome.

[coyleys 10]

Hi Coyleys,

 

So a housepoint each for both being right!

 

I found this site. It’s brilliant! There’s also a very good account of what the shuttle gets up to on re-entry. If you want to come around for a few beers and to play with some shuttle models one night you’re very welcome.

 

Hang on, I'll be round in a min.

But don't tell Shoeshine or he'll gatecrash.

[coyleys 10]

I know it’s been a bit of a wait, but I keep going off at a tangent, as you can imagine with a subject like this it is wide open for digression.

So here’s part three.

As usual comments please, no matter how derogatory.

And I’m really sorry but there’s more to come.

 

Chapter 3

[coyleys 10]

And here we have part four.

Enjoy

 

Chapter 4

 

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[coyleys 10]

part five.....

 

Chapter 5

 

 

And finally.....

 

The Whole story.

[sauerkraut 10]

I want Part 5!! I want Part 5!!

 

(Link not working)

[coyleys 10]

try it now

[coyleys 10]

It would seem some readers were a bit confused with the ending, so I have revised the epilogue.

 

Alternative epilogue.