Definition
A category of wing flap distinguished by its mechanical design and how it changes the wing's shape or area when deployed. Common flap types include plain, split, slotted, and Fowler, each producing different combinations of additional lift and drag.
Plain English
The kind of flap fitted to a wing, named for how it moves and what it does to the wing when extended. Different designs give different amounts of extra lift and drag.
Context Anchor
Seen in airplane handling discussions, aircraft manuals, and training material explaining how different flap designs affect takeoff, approach, and landing.
Derivation
“Flap” comes from an old word connected with something that moves or swings. In aviation, it became the name for a movable part of the wing. “Type” means kind or design, so “flap type” means the particular design of flap installed on the airplane.
Why Pilots Care
Different flap types change an airplane's stall speed, approach angle, and required runway length, so pilots must know which type their aircraft uses to choose the right configuration for safe operations.
Intuition Check
Do not read “flap type” as the flap setting, such as 10 degrees or 20 degrees. The flap type is the design of the flap itself, not how far the pilot has lowered it.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor asked the student to identify the flap type on the training aircraft before discussing approach speeds.
Example Sentence 2
Aircraft equipped with a Fowler flap type can extend the wing area as well as change its camber.