IMHO you don't need dive brakes on the Europa short wing. While the
plane is slippery it will slow down and lose height quite effectively
given the correct pilot input.
During flight testing I had to slow down or lose height quickly on
several occasions. Backing off the throttle then stirring the pot or
putting the aircraft into a slip drops speed quite rapidly. Once flaps
are down the aircraft will rapidly come to a standstill (literally!!).
In a slip with the flaps down you can happily plummet well over 1000
feet per minute with the speed stable at 70 knots. I tested just how
much height you can lose quickly in a slip over a measured distance on
Saturday and was able to lose 2000' over the length of a 1600 yard strip
in windless conditions without any difficulty at all.
Tony
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