The common belief that flaps increase an airplane's rate of climb by increasing lift is generally incorrect; a steady climb is achieved by power overcoming drag, not by excess lift.
While flaps increase maximum lift and reduce stalling speed, allowing for a steeper angle of climb, they also significantly increase overall drag.
The article concludes that any positive effect of flap deflection on the rate of climb is unlikely to be discernible, primarily due to the considerable drag penalty they introduce.
“I always use flaps for climb. I get more lift that way.”
Some would call this statement perfectly logical, because flaps do increase lift and increased lift certainly ought to make an airplane climb faster. Others would say that the reasoning is fallacious, and that flaps, by increasing drag, reduce rate of climb rather than increase it.
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