Does it help an airplane climb if you deflect the flap a little bit?
In a word, no.
Do Flaps Make Lift?
A common thought is that deploying wing flaps will improve climb rate. But is it true?
Key Takeaways:
- Deflecting flaps does not improve an airplane's climb rate; climbing is achieved through excess power, not increased lift.
- Flap deflection actually increases drag, which can negatively impact an aircraft's climb performance.
- While flaps slightly lower the stalling speed, this offers an imperceptible performance gain for climbing, providing only a minor safety margin for maneuvers like best angle of climb or minimum-radius turns.
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