Great thread!
I've been away from the forum for about a week off and just noticed the earlier discussion of binding in swept forward trailing-edge flaps. Despite my own original scepticism, two comments:
1) Friends have bowed (like Al Rabe) connectors or bent their flap connector wires in a couple places, rather than a "V" in the center when not using "Lucky" boxes. They havent done Sparky's straight version. Their flaps have negligable centering forces on Sterling Yak-9's compared to mine with the stock part. One has barrel type hinges, and the flaps are quite free. My flaps with original "V" connector do bind and twist the flaps on deflection.
2) I examined Bill Werwage's '62 Areas at VSC 14, and his flaps were so free that they dropped of their own weight, and I could not feel the mechanical binding at all. The friction was truly negligible.
SK