Flap lift curve
 

Hi

Is there a formula for calculating the coefficient of lift contributed by different flap deflections?

I understand that even plain flaps can contribute in the region of 50% extra lift but is this maximum delivered at lower flap deflections (20-30) or does it rise progressively?

I appreciated that drag overtakes lift but doe the lift decline anyway with increased settings?

Cheers
Chris

737....
Flaps 1 to 15 more lift than drag
Flaps 15> to 40 more drag than lift.

boingboingbang

Lets not consider any compressibility effects, nor changes to wing area by the deployment of flaps. Then obviously for 1 G flight, for the same speed, the Cl will be the same for all flap settings.

You can figure out the max Cl for each flap setting if you know the stall speeds for the different configurations.

The maximum Cl for each setting will be the max Cl for zero flap times the ratio (Vstall clean divided V stall with flap extended) squared. Speed in calibrated.

All comes from L=.5* p * S * Cl *Vsquared

Hawk

It rises progressively. There would be no purpose in a flap setting which generated less lift than a lower angle did, even if it generated more drag.

Takeoff flap settings are generally designed to provide optimal L/D which generally means keeping the drag induced by the flap as low as possible.

Landing flap settings generally want to get as much lift as possible (for low approach speeds) and don't care TOO much about the drag going high, because drag on approach is usually a good thing.

But if I had a situation where, say, flaps 45 gave a nice high lift and highish drag for landing, and flaps 60 gave less maximum lift with more drag, the "flaps 60" landing would have to be conducted at higher speeds, so any benefit of the drag would be lost through having to land faster.