Slats / Spoilers

**vanzanten** · 09-18-2009, 10:03 PM

Question...

Does FS9 enable slats functions? I've read that they are sometimes coupled to the flap system however i've never seen them. Is this correct?

Same goes for spoilers; how can these be activated to reduce airspeed while flying an approach for instance?

Cheers

**davemead** · 09-18-2009, 10:21 PM

i could be wrong, but i belive that an aircraft that has slats programmed into the model will extend them when you extend your flaps.
as far as your spoilers, the command for them is the / key.

**whicker** · 09-19-2009, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by vanzanten

Question...

snip-----

Same goes for spoilers; how can these be activated to reduce airspeed while flying an approach for instance?

Cheers

Each airplane that has spoilers should also have a spoiler handle on the throttle quadrant (if modeled correctly). Use your mouse and grab/drag the handle down to the desired percent of spoiler activation when slowing the planes airspeed for the approach (or passing through 10,000 ft).

The default "/ key" is all or none spoilers and is used once the main gear has touched the runway to destroy the wing lift and add ground air speed brakes. You can also arm the spoilers with the proper key command or use the mouse to drag the handle into the arming position. FS simulates the actual strut switch which will deploy the spoilers on touchdown to their 100 percent setting.

Know the type plane you are flying. Some high performance jets designed/modeled for FS are not suppose to be able to deploy spoilers when in the air. You must plan and stay ahead of the airplane so speeds are slowed based on Engine settings /attitude only.

**Avechelice** · 09-19-2009, 08:59 AM

Hllo

Some Bf 109's (freewares or paywares) have also auto slats deploying in flight when required (a particularity of this plane)
This autocommand must certainly be burried in the airfile and model ...

Regards.

**ronzie** · 09-19-2009, 04:07 PM

Some aircraft use Shift-/ and-or / to deploy and retract spoilers. Some can be deployed in the air for rapid descent during the initial stages of approach if IAS will be too high with pitch control set for the desired V/S when a rapid descent is needed. They are not kept deployed to the surface. It adds both drag to hold airspeed and lift spoiling to increase descent rate. Some aircraft have control surfaces that extend outward horizontally from the rear fuselage to act as speed brakes by adding drag only and have no effect on lift. These are on some smaller "corporate" jets and operate with the same FS command.

Some swept wing high speed aircraft use the lift spoilers individually on each wing to coordinate turns at lower speeds where ailerons are near the wing tips only. Such placed ailerons only work at high speeds because that;s where most of the airflow is at high speed and such ailerons are not effective enough at low speeds. These are called "spoilerons" and can be partial deployment of the main spoilers or a smaller additional panel.

Some aircraft have dedicated panels to act as "ground spoilers" that deploy when ground contact is sensed by gear triggers. They provide drag during roll-out and spoil lift reducing the aircraft tendency to "bounce" because of floating tendencies during initial ground contact and speed where the aircraft is "almost" flying. They insure firm ground contact of the undercarriage for stable ground rollout and increase braking efficiency.

It is good practice to plan your descent to avoid the application of spoilers as much as possible (it saves fuel) but they can be deployed if necessary due to ATC dictated stepping altitudes and speeds or various other reasons. Some approaches require a steep descent due to terrain obstacles to the point where a normal path for final can be initiated.