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 help an airplane climb; it actually increases drag, which tends to reduce the climb rate.
- An airplane climbs due to excess power, not "excess lift," as lift remains roughly equal to weight during flight.
- Although flaps slightly lower the stalling speed, this is irrelevant for the best rate of climb and only provides an imperceptible safety margin for the best angle of climb or minimum-radius turns.
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