Simviation Forums

Hi all, wanted to ask, when flying say a 757, for take-off, is flaps set to 15 ok, and when should I retract them, at what altitude.

Maybe a silly question, but are flaps just used to help lift-off, and of course full flaps for landing ?

Thanks again.

Tomcat61

Flaps create drag, which can help slow you down, and also decreases the amount of runway needed to take-off

Tomcat its not a question of altitude but speed! The flaps on most modern jets are the Fowler type (if I remember correctly), and as well as generating drag as Andrew said, they also increase the surface area of the wing, causing the air to flow over it faster, and thus generate lift. So my advice is get them up ASAP after you've got clear of the stalling speed.

Ozzy

i usually do flaps 5 for take off and the retract them first one notch at 200 and then fully retract them at about 230 it just gives you enough to get of the runway asap but not to much, i believe thats how most pilots flying the bigger planes do it in the real world.(please correct me if i am wrong)

The principle is the same for all in that you require a certain airspeed for a given flap position to maintain flight and vertical speed. The thing is to maintain airspeed while you reconfigure the aircraft. The object is to make the aircraft "clean" asap. I've seen some very quick flaps up,gear up transitions on a variety of aircraft. Is there a reference for the 757 you can check?

The airplane manual says:  Before take-off  set flaps at 15 degres..  After take-off at : 180 Kias  flaps 5 deg , at 210 kias  Flaps up............ Landing  speed 220 >> Flaps 5 deg. >> 200  10 to 15 flaps 180 >> 20   Gear down 165 kias flaps 25 to Full.

In flight sim there is more than one way of doing things.  This is one of them.  To keep it realistic it is usually 15 degrees on takeoff then while on climb out, retract them to 5 degrees.  The 5 degrees is to assist with the turns you make immediatly after take off to your heading.