Dive brake

Dive brakes or dive flaps are deployed to slow down an aircraft when in a dive. They often consist of a metal flap that is lowered against the air flow, thus creating drag and reducing dive speed.^[1]

In the past, dive brakes were mostly used on

air brakes, which perform the same function as dive brakes.^[1]^[2]

Applications

Aichi D3A
Dornier Do 217 (attachable dorsal/ventral "petal" design at extreme rear of fuselage)
Douglas SBD Dauntless
Junkers Ju 87 (automatic air brakes that allowed the aircraft to pull out of a dive even if the pilot was rendered temporarily unconscious due to high g-forces)
Northrop BT
A-36 Invader
SB2U Vindicator
Blackburn Firebrand

References

^
ISBN 1-56027-287-2

^ Shenstone, B.S.; Wilkinson, K.G. (1963). The World's Sailplanes. Vol. II. Organisation Scientifique et Technique Internationale du Vol à Voile (OSTIV) and Schweizer Aero-Revue. p. 117.

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