Any good references out there (or threads in here) about flying with flaperons/spoilerons? Just started flying my new ExtremeFlightRC Edge 60" electric. I hooked up each aileron to a separate channel and set up the Flaperon switch. I know that flaps help keep lift at lower air speeds, but beyond that are there any aerobatic characterstics or moves they would help with? What about spoilerons? What moves would they help with?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by rcbobp

Any good references out there (or threads in here) about flying with flaperons/spoilerons? Just started flying my new ExtremeFlightRC Edge 60" electric. I hooked up each aileron to a separate channel and set up the Flaperon switch. I know that flaps help keep lift at lower air speeds, but beyond that are there any aerobatic characterstics or moves they would help with? What about spoilerons? What moves would they help with?

Thanks.

I frequently use them for cross/wind landings......also have them programmed to a slider instead of a switch, so I can "Dial" in any amount I want at that moment.......FWIW

Spoilerons are a blast when doing elevators. If you use them for landing, a little spoileron can change your glide slope to a much steeper glide slope. On the ground, it'll stop your bird in her tracks, but she won't get back in the air with them up. I've heard they're good for harriers and walls also, but haven't tried them that way "yet".

I don't use them as flaperons, maybe somebody with more experience playing with them will chime in.

Tighter loops. Spoilerons help eliminate wing rocking in elevators. Try inverted spins with spoilerons and see if it helps flatten your planes spins. A little spoilerons in very windy weather landings will help loose altitude, a little flaperons on a normal landing will slow your plane and lower your stall speed. Have fun!

I also use them for crankshafts

Originally Posted by rcbobp

Any good references out there (or threads in here) about flying with flaperons/spoilerons? Just started flying my new ExtremeFlightRC Edge 60" electric. I hooked up each aileron to a separate channel and set up the Flaperon switch. I know that flaps help keep lift at lower air speeds, but beyond that are there any aerobatic characterstics or moves they would help with? What about spoilerons? What moves would they help with?

Thanks.

The 60 edge really does not need them but if you want to run them here is some insight from someone who has ran them extensively.
First, what are flaperons: they are a mix to the elevator such that when the elevator goes up then both ailerons go down, as well when the elevator goes down both ailerons go up. It also permits the ailerons to turn the plane during this mix.
Spoilerons: when your elevator goes up both ailerons go up, when the elevator goes down both ailerons go down. Again the airplane can still turn.
Some are convinced that flaperons or spoilerons aid in harriers, elevators or other 3D maneuvers, and that is somewhat true. However what that really depends upon is the plane itself. I have seen some planes wind up faster in a KE spin with flaperons or spoilerons and other planes using them makes no difference or even hurts the performance. So you must program them and judge the performance increase or decrement yourself.
Now look at flaps and spoilers:
Flaps, using the ailerons as flaps is a sort of flaperons and is many times referred to this in many TX menus. But in this case the flaps we are discussing do not rely on any elevator position, they simply to to a fixed down position but the plane still turns due to the preprogrammed mix allowing the ailerons to turn the plane.
Spoilers, using the ailerons as spoilers is many times also a preprogrammed TX mix and this causes the ailerons to go to an fixed up position. Again you will have the ability to turn the plane but this mix does not rely on any elevator input.
Hope this helps as flaperons and spoilerons are really old stuff. We used it bunch back in the early 2000-2005 era of 3D but todays airplanes are so good it does not seem as effective as then. Not saying they don't work in some cases, they will but like I said above it is airframe dependent. I suggest you program it and play with it a couple mistakes high and judge the performance.
Jeff

Jeff has given you good info. I should correct my earlier post to say spoilers independent of the elevators, and so they still allow turning at the same time. I do not use spoilerons, mine are not mixed to the elevators (sorry if there was any confusion on that). Also, I fly 35%. I have tried them on a 48" electric extra, and the plane did not behave the way I thought it would.

Thanks. Good stuff. As with most other RC questions, the best answer lies at the bottom of the gas can (or in the case of the plane in question, my battery charger). Worst case, if I see no real advantage, I'll just set the flap switch to neutral and go have fun!

Personally on stuff smaller than 50cc they can get you in trouble so practice things high as they can give you some unexpected feed back.

Only thing I use spoilers for (up elevator = up ailerons) is for waterfalls and tumbles. my mix is for 75% ailerons to full elevator in either direction with ailerons going in same direction as elevators.
Also helpful for stopping when you come in hot, are on smooth or paved runways or flying at a short field. Once you are rolling pull full up with 75% up ailerons basically stops the plane and pins it to the ground. Just don't do it before the plane is actually landed or you may be ordering some landing gear parts!!

I've seen lots of guy's try flaps or spoilers to stop wing rocking on a plane that is known to not wing rock. Be careful using those as a crutch or in lieu of practice practice practice. On planes that are well designed if it's rocking, it's not fully stalled (need more elevator).

On full scale planes (which is how I make my living in life flying large transport jets for a major airline) they are actually called roll spoilers. Reason is they stay fully extended with no turning/aileron input but with input they go proportional. The only time our spoilers stay fully extended regardless of aileron input is on the ground, then they become ground spoilers. Probably more info that you wanted.
Jeff

I just got my hands on a 46% Ultimate, started reading the manual. I was surprised to see the manual call for quite a bit of spoiler mix. Have not tried it yet. Haven't flown the plane yet

Can someone explain to me how to program spoilerons with the dx18?

I just go into flap system.. Assign it to a switch... And then start to turn up or down the percentage and your ailerons will move up for spoilerons or down for flaperons.. I think you can create a mix also but the flap way is easy

As a general rule, I don't use spoilerons or flaperons on an aerobatic plane. My friend and I experimented with them many moons ago and discovered it really wasn't as much fun as we thought it would be. We did do the full up spoileron and elevator trick as Terry suggested. And yes!! Once that plane is on the ground, flip your switch for this or your mix, that puppy ain't gettin' in the air again. Flat brings the plane to a screeching halt right now. I maintain the spoilerons to my gasserized trainer now. Simply because it is a heavy pig and landings are pretty quick. The spoilerons really do slow it down aiding in the lift.

Spoilerons go up to kill lift, flaperons go down to give more lift. A little spoileron mix can help stabilize wing rock in harriers, also help against tip stalls on take off and landings on planes that are prone to tip stall. Flaperons can help give added lift for landings and tight loops.
It can be fun to try these, but always start with smaller amounts at first.