It's somewhat apparent to me the interest is low and the pressure is to simply do what has been previously done which is not what I am about.
Well at least you have one person interested in perusing this. It may or may not produce anything usable but isn't the process enjoyable regardless of the outcome?
You are barking up the same tree Al fell out of but you are starting off knowing why he didn't fully achieve his goals. The "Bump" at the hinge line caused by the flap rotating was the problem (i was typing this when you made your last post!). I have been trying to figure out how to make a self sealing thick imbedded flap for years. I don't have the resources to do the kind of testing you can do so I am going to bait my breath and watch.
I have succeeded in making imbedded elevators that seal quickly by extending the 1/32" top and bottom sheeting slightly past the hinge line (Robarts hinges). As soon as the elevator rotates, it seals on the bottom (lower) side and is thin enough to flex without binding. My stab is 1/2" thick airfoiled and the elevators 7/16". I have not been able to duplicate this with the thinner flaps.
I have mixed feelings about sealing. Probably since we did without it for so long and nobody seemed to notice and also because I don't fully understand how it works. Is the "bleed" coming down from the top or up from the bottom and does the shape of the curve with the flaps engaged affect it? How does having the actual gap imbedded in the TE change it? Does the air stick to the tape in the gap(
)?
As technology grows, a lot of old ideas that were correct but impractical, because the implementation was either too heavy or too difficult to achieve given the tools of the day, suddenly make sense. I wonder how many of the top fliers in 1979 told Ted he was wasting his time, just go with what works?
Ken
PS: Let me add an afterthought instead of a new post. I understand having the flap hinge line further back but I am not sure you can without creating the "bubble" even if you make it elliptical. What does moving the hinge line back do other than taking some pressure off of the flaps? The problem with recessing the flap into the wing close enough to be effective is the binding when the wing flexes. I have tried "piano" hinges using aluminum tube with no success.