Some flap experiments that I'm to lazy to do, but that you may find interesting:
1. You could attach some leading edge flaps fixed in place at a given deflection. This allows you easily to see what LE devices could do. You wouldn't have to worry about mechanisms or hinge moment to do the experiment.
2. You could experimentally fix the TE flaps at a given deflection. This could tell you what the flaps do without the confounding effect of hinge moment. You could see what flap deflection gives the tightest loop, how much drag the flaps have at various deflections, and, by setting neutral at the handle and seeing how much elevator it takes to fly level, how flap pitching moment varies with deflection. I once did this with an experimental aircraft named The Cow. The Cow had fixed split flaps (say that three times fast) set at 60 degrees deflection. The Cow was a proof-of-concept article for the rather unsuccessful slow combat plane shown here.
3. Brett proposed flaps driven in multiple places along the span. I scoffed at this idea, carbon torque tubes having been invented, but how about if the flaps are divided into independently moving segments, each with its own control horn? For one thing, this would be the mother of all lucky boxes. You want to tweak a flap to level the wing in roll? Just adjust pushrod length of one segment. You could have some segments move more than others: symmetrically, asymmetrically (Palmer differential flaps-- same sign as Palmer's or opposite)), or just the outboard outside segment for trim like Igor's or Ted's tab. Independently moving segments would allow a lighter wing structure. The wing could deflect without binding the flap hinge.
One caution is that you'd probably want to mass balance the pushrod that runs out the wing. Hang a weight on the other side of the bellcrank.