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Why don't planes take off with full flaps?

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The purpose of flaps is not to produce more lift per se. The purpose of the flaps is to produce the lift you need at a lower speed. It's a lot easier if you see it that way. Flaps allow an airplane to fly slower. Period. read more

Flaps don't nessacarily produce more lift, although they do, but they make the plane more stable at lower speeds. The planes would have to fly faster and use up more fuel to carry more weight, so while possible, I don't think its very practical. read more

It would be illegal to take-off on full flaps if: POH says it is prohibited,or; For commercial flying, if the flap setting does not provide the minimum required gross obstacle clearance climb gradient (depending on the type of operation and number of engines, between 2.4%-3.0% ). read more

Full flaps can be used on take-off whenever it is called for in the POH, but I have never seen it in any of the 40 different aircraft I have flown. In some aircraft that I've flown (eg Cherokees and the Pilatus PC-12), there is an intermediate flap settings (about 25 degrees) which is used for short/soft field takeoffs because the extra lift from the downwash from the flaps helps the plane liftoff. read more

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