Editing Flap (aeronautics) (section)

=== Maneuvering flaps ===
Some [[Glider aircraft|gliders]] not only use flaps when landing, but also in flight to optimize the camber of the wing for the chosen speed. While [[thermal]]ling, flaps may be partially extended to reduce the stall speed so that the glider can be flown more slowly and thereby reduce the rate of sink, which lets the glider use the rising air of the thermal more efficiently, and to turn in a smaller circle to make best use of the core of the [[thermal]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}}  At higher speeds a negative flap setting is used to reduce the nose-down [[pitching moment]]. This reduces the balancing load required on the [[Stabilizer (aircraft)|horizontal stabilizer]], which in turn reduces the trim drag associated with keeping the glider in longitudinal trim.{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}} Negative flap may also be used during the initial stage of an aerotow launch and at the end of the landing run in order to maintain better control by the [[aileron]]s.{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}}

Like gliders, some [[Fighter aircraft|fighters]] such as the [[Nakajima Ki-43]] also use special flaps to improve maneuverability during air combat, reducing the stalling speed and allowing for much tighter turns.<ref>Windrow 1965, p. 4.</ref> The flaps used for this must be designed specifically to handle the greater stresses and most flaps have a [[V speeds#VFE|maximum speed]] at which they can be deployed. [[Control line]] model aircraft built for [[Control line#Precision aerobatics|precision aerobatics]] competition usually have a type of maneuvering flap system that moves them in an opposing direction to the elevators, to assist in tightening the radius of a maneuver.