Harkening back to previous threads on applying flaps during take-off, this is a nod to the nay-sayers! God forbid you might ‘loose control’ while popping the flaps…
As illustrated above, it works quite well, either to get a float plane off the water, or in this case, a dolly.
I was looking forward to my first chance to do a dolly take-off last year, but it ended up not happening. One day…
You can certainly ‘hear’ the prop on the 185 in the second camera angle 
.
Is that possible with any kind of flaps – even electric ones ? Or do they need a lever ?
Hi EuroFlyer,
That is a simple question; but with lots of variables for the answer. It depends on the aircraft and the flap design.
For example, the flaps on a Yak 18T only have two positions (up or fully down) and provide a huge amount of drag and not much extra lift (although they do allow the aircraft to fly at a slightly slower speed). I have not tried, but I think it would be very difficult to take-off with the flaps deployed (very long ground run and poor climb performance).
Conversely, a number of Cessna’s POHs (152-172) recommend 10 degrees of flap for short field take-off and the same for PA28s (two notches).
If you are flying a float plane at a high gross weight in a high density altitude you might only be able to accelerate to certain speed on the water. If this speed is not fast enough to lift off, then you are ‘stuck’ on the water. However, if you are able to apply the flaps to the take-off position, you might be going fast enough to lift-off with newly configured wing (flaps down). The floats then lift out of the water and the aircraft can accelerate. You can retract the flaps at a safe height and speed.
In the cases were flaps are helpful for take-off, it doesn’t matter if they are a lever or a electric switch. However, if the electric switch is not ‘pre-configured’ with a detent, you probably don’t want to be messing around to find ‘just the right amount of flap’ while accelerating down a short runway. I would probably just set the correct take-off flaps before you start moving.
Hope this helps.
In the Super Cub Flight Manual it says:
“The flap lever can be set in any one of three positions, for full up flap, half flap, or full down flap. Full flap is recommended for minimum speed landings. Half or full flap can be applied to reduce takeoff run, the more flap used the shorter the run. A minimum takeoff distance is obtained by beginning the takeoff with flaps up, then applying full flaps when takeoff speed (30-35 MPH) has been reached. The best angle of climb is attained with full flap. The best rate of climb is without flaps extended”
At the risk of igniting an old argument, no mention of Rotate Speed here! A little bit of a feel for the aircraft is called for.
Was there some attachment/release mechanism on the platform so the plane not depart prematurely?
Canuck wrote:
However, if the electric switch is not ‘pre-configured’ with a detent, you probably don’t want to be messing around to find ‘just the right amount of flap’ while accelerating down a short runway. I would probably just set the correct take-off flaps before you start moving.
What you could do is to pre-define the position you want the flaps at and then stick some gaffers tape over the flap-switch travel slot. I wouldn’t want to mess with the non-dedented flap switch on a C182 in a situation like this one, very easy to get it wrong. The flaps in the video seem to deploy very quickly – does a C185 (which this seems to be) have mechanical flaps?
Whiskey Papa – No, the aircraft is not attached to the dolly. You must ‘fly’ it from the time the dolly starts moving. I would not want to do this if there was a crosswind.
172 Driver – In relation to the flap detent comment, I was really thinking about experimental types. For example, some Lancairs and RV’s just have a toggle switch for up or down on the flaps (with a max travel limit). Hence, to set the flaps, you just look out the window as you move the switch (see photo below). When the flaps are in the position you want, you let go of the switch. The early C180s and C185 have mechanical flaps, I don’t know if the later ones have electric versions.
Neil wrote:
At the risk of igniting an old argument, no mention of Rotate Speed here!
On a tailwheel aircraft (Super Cub), I think everybody can agree that a Rotate Speed would make no sense whatsoever.
Rwy20 wrote:
On a tailwheel aircraft (Super Cub), I think everybody can agree that a Rotate Speed would make no sense whatsoever.
Nitpicking here: The good old FAA requires V1-Vr-V2 for transport category aircraft. The DC3 is both a taildragger and a transport category aircraft and therefore has a rotate speed. 84 knots. 
