What are secondary flight controls primarily used for?

Secondary flight controls are primarily used to enhance the aircraft's maneuverability during flight. These controls, which include devices like flaps, slats, and spoilers, are designed to augment the primary flight controls (such as ailerons, elevator, and rudder) and provide pilots with additional options for controlling the aircraft’s performance in various flight conditions. By adjusting these control surfaces, pilots can optimize the aircraft’s handling characteristics for specific maneuvers, such as turns and climbs, or to maintain stability during different phases of flight.

This focus on improved maneuverability is critical for achieving better performance during operations like air combat, aerobatics, or even during turbulence. Since secondary flight controls enhance rather than directly manage the basic flight control functions, they do not specifically assist during takeoff, increase fuel efficiency, or serve to enhance the basic control surfaces but rather fine-tune the aircraft's responsiveness and control ability in specific situations.