We received a press release from Lam Aviation concerning a novel type of aileron, which was said to have brought about remarkable performance gains on a Lancair Columbia testbed. Cruising speed increased by 12 to 16 knots, fuel consumption decreased by 20 to 30 percent, and rate of climb increased by 40 to 50 percent. Useful load rose by 200 pounds. I know that the writer of an advertisement is not under oath, but I wondered how such millennial improvements had been achieved by merely modifying an aileron.
The Lam aileron was developed by Larry Lam, an aerospace engineer who died in 2010. He flew around for years in a two-seat homebuilt with a full-span flap and his novel ailerons. His son Michael is carrying on the idea, with the help of Greg Cole, a respected and innovative sailplane designer and builder.
