All of the Boeings except the 717 have conventional tails. This gives them greater authority and consistency over a wider flight regime, but unfortunately also means you will have the authority to worsen a developing stall. ). Which one do you prefer: T-tail airplane or cruciform tail - Quora Not so! They are marine pathogens. The T-tail stays out of ground effect for longer than the main wing. T-tail of aircraft ( Tu-154) A T-tail is an empennage configuration in which the tailplane is mounted to the top of the fin. The main advantage of a T-tail is that during normal flight conditions the elevator is above most of the effects of downwash from the propeller (in case of a propeller-driven aircraft) and the airflow around the fuselage and wings. [1] Rear-mounting the engines keeps the wings clean and improves short-field performance. Some people just think they look cool. I would be keeping that in mind if I ever had an emergency in the plane. Advantages Of A T-tail Vs. A Conventional Tail, RE: Advantages Of A T-tail Vs. A Conventional Tail. Functionally the horizontal stabilizer/stabilator are the same in both cases, providing negative lift, the elevator control and a method for pitch trim. The forces required to raise the nose of a T-tail aircraft are greater than the forces required to raise the nose of a conventional-tail aircraft. Why do T- tail airplanes have a shorter vertical stabilizer? V-tail - Wikipedia Aircraft flying government officials, Helicopters I too love the look of a V tail, and soon enough ill be trying my first V tail home build! T-tail will give you better rudder authority at very high AOA and stalls so as to prevent a spin. I am not so sure about your argument for added drag @yankeekilo But you do agree that the wake is wider? Pro's and Con's for a T-Tail [Archive] - PPRuNe Forums The effect of this is that the tail will be pushed left. (a) V-tail Configuration; (b) Tail-1: Conventional tail with tail equal Notify me of follow-up comments by email. A stick-pusher can be fitted to deal with this problem. A T-tail has structural and aerodynamic design consequences. Combining both the elevator and the rudder will, as with a conventional empennage, cause the plane to rotate around the yaw and pitch axes. Provide plane leverage: T-Tail surfaces makes it easy to increase the distance between the wing and the tailplane without affecting the weight of the aircraft. I've tried to research this before, but about all I've been able to come up with is that T-tails can suffer from deep-stalls, while conventional tails do not. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Ascended Master. T tail is aerodynamically the most efficient tail type, as the empennage is located above the fuselage and the turbulence created by engines and wing. somewhat difficult to align.. lots of ground clearance when landing. 1. SLAMseq resolves the kinetics of maternal and zygotic gene expression hmmm "wake size" is quite undefined. If you look at the Rafale planform you see that it has a small LERX on the wing and another on the canard (this one is really thick and rounded, but it will still have similar function aerodynamically). The conventional cross tail is the easiest to design, modify during the development process and adjust during set up of a new model. It got them more weight and less authority in the TO roll and flare. Nahhthe 90 and 100 were pretty good lookin' birds. Conventional vs. T Tail, pros, cons? | Pilots of America From the wikipedia page of the Handley Page Victor: One unusual flight characteristic of the early Victor was its self-landing capability; once lined up with the runway, the aircraft would naturally flare as the wing entered into ground effect while the tail continued to sink, giving a cushioned landing without any command or intervention by the pilot. 9 Things You Didn't Know About Your Airplane's VHF Radio, 3 Ways To Identify Mountain Waves From Forecasts, 10 Skills VFR Pilots Can Learn From IFR Pilots. It also helps to reduce wave drag, especially when using a well designed Kchemann body (the round, long, spiky thing on the tail junction of a Tu-154) by stretching the structure lengthwise. Cons: Due to their shorter tail radius, zero swings are likely to have lower rated operating capacities than reduced tail or conventional tail swings designs. We thank you for your support and hope you'll join the largest aviation community on the web. It was used in the 1950s by combat aircraft such as the Gloster Javelin, McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, and Lockheed F-104 Starfighter interceptors, and on the Blackburn Buccaneer attack aircraft. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. The disturbed airflow over a lower stabilizer can make control more difficult at lower speeds. Make sure to give it a thumbs up if you learned something! As a consequence of the smaller vertical tail, a T-tail can be lighter. Quiz: 6 Questions To See How Much You Know About ILS Approaches, Final Video: Your Questions About Mountain Flying, Coffin Corner And Mach Tuck, Explained: Boldmethod Live, Why Fast Jets Have Swept Wings: Boldmethod Live, 6 Aerodynamic Facts About Ailerons Every Pilot Should Know, 5 Things You Learn In Your First 50 Hours Of Instructing, How Airline Pilots Manage Maximum Landing Weight, 8 Tips For Keeping Your Logbooks Clean, Professional, And Interview-Ready, 6 Questions You Should Be Prepared To Answer During Your CFI Interview. This distance gives the plane leverage and enables the tailplane to control the aircrafts pitch attitude. And on the landing roll the tail can seem to lose authority all at once with the nose coming down. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I have no idea how those loads are calculated much less how they are combined in order to estimate total stress. Figure 2.13: Aircrafts empennage types. Zero tail swing vs normal tail swing. The conventional tail Lance (or Six) benefits from having air pushed over it by the prop - which means that it is effective at much lower indicated airspeeds - hence allowing you to rotate the wing into a flying attitude (and fly off) at much lower ias than in the T Tail. It depends on the airplane. The placement on top of the vertical gives it more leverage, Depending on wing location, it stays in undisturbed flow in a stall. Why do big modern airplanes not use a T-tail configuration for the horizontal stabilizer? Everything from the Goodyear blimp to the Zeppelin, Night Photos Can archive.org's Wayback Machine ignore some query terms? What you get is the horizontal stab up out of the prop wash, which reduces inflight vibration -- the reason, I believe, which Piper did it. In the 1960s, several passenger jets with rear-fuselage-mounted engines featured T-tails, such as the BAC One-Eleven, the Vickers VC10, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, the Boeing 727, the Fokker F28 Fellowship, and the Russian Ilyushin Il-62 and Tupolev Tu-154. Note: This is really depending on the details, the. What airframe design is best for stormy weather? Copyright 2023 Flite Test. The T-tail, depending on airspeed, is either very effective or far less effective than a conventional tail (which isnt as prone to abrupt transitions between different flying regimes). Quiz: Can You Identify These 7 Cloud Formations? Provides smooth flow: A T-tail ensures the tailplane surfaces behind the wings are out of the airflow. Another major difference between these two configurations concerns the stability. Aviation Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for aircraft pilots, mechanics, and enthusiasts. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. This is to keep the hot engine exhaust away from the tail surfaces. midterm answers - Prokaryotes vs eukaryotes (Archaea, Bacteria and A T-tail is a form of empennage where the horizontal stabilizer is mounted to the top of the fin. Yeah, V-tails look cool, and in some modeling instances are easier to run control lines for. With the conditions you said you operate in I would go with a conventional tail swing, talk to a cat road mechanic about servicing/repairing. The conclusion of this study cannot be drawn without a specific example but I hope it is clear for you that stability is really impacted by the choice of the tail. Why are the Antonov An-124 horizontal stabilisers directly behind the wings? T-tails have a good glide ratio, and are more efficient on low speed aircraft. I can't really say I know the aerodynamics of it though, so I might be very mistaken. This is a good description of the tail section, as like the feathers on an . What is (theoretically) the most efficient shape for an aircraft, assuming you don't have to carry any cargo? The non-turbo d Arrows consume nine to 12 gallons per hour, with the blown versions using around 14 GPH when pushed. Beechcraft 1900 D of the Swiss Air Force. This ensures no dead air zone above the elevator. But, they handle turbulence much better and are very smooth fliers. receive periodic yet meaningful email contacts from us and us alone. Disadvantages: Very messy loading and structural design. Incorrect Traffic Pattern Entry Leads To Mid-Air Conflict, How To Correct A High Flare During Landing. 6. The resulting drag is what counts. And on the landing roll the tail can seem to lose authority all at once with the nose coming down. Pros: 1. T-tails keep the stabilizers out of the engine wake, and give better pitch control. Regarding the "vertical" force equilibrium equation, there is no real difference between the two configurations but there is a big one for the moment equilibrium. Subscribe to get the latest videos, articles, and quizzes that make you a smarter, safer pilot. Become a better pilot.Subscribe to get the latest videos, articles, and quizzes that make you a smarter, safer pilot. Both military and civil versions, Blimps / Airships In comparison with conventional-tail aircraft, the elevator on a T-tail aircraft must be moved a greater distance to raise the nose a given amount when traveling at slow speeds. Copyright SKYbrary Aviation Safety, 2021-2023. I guess I'd like to know what makes a T-tail advantageous as opposed to a conventional tail. This reduces friction drag and is the main reason why most modern gliders have T-tails. The fan consists of between 8-18 blades, depending on the aircraft model, and is of a much smaller diameter than a conventional tail rotor system. Seaplanes and amphibian aircraft (e.g. Designers were worried that an engine failure would otherwise damage the horizontal tail. Loss of Control). If "all flying rudders" for LSA aircraft need up to 40% less area, what about "all flying elevators (stabilators)"? A given T, V, or conventional tail will all have essentially the same control authority if they have the same total area. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? This is because the conventional-tail aircraft has the downwash from the propeller pushing down on the tail to assist in raising the nose. A T-tail produces a strong nose-down pitching moment in sideslip. It is the conventional configuration for aircraft with the engines under the wings. A T-tail produces a strong nose-down pitching moment in sideslip. However both halves typically have to be larger in surface area to make up for only having two stabilizing surfaces, so the drag reduction is rendered null. On the positive side you have a less noisy cabin (lets say in front of the by design clean wing). Pictures of great freighter aircraft, Government Aircraft Use MathJax to format equations. Why Aircraft Weight Affects Climb Performance, How To Correct A Late Or Rapid Flare During Landing, How Pitot-Static Failures Affect Your Indicated Airspeed And Altitude, Why Landing With A Tailwind Increases Your Risk Of An Accident, Ice-Covered Pitot Tube Results In Low-Altitude Alert From ATC, How To Calculate Your Own VDP When An Instrument Approach Doesn't Have One, Quiz: 6 Questions To See How Much You Know About Aerodynamics. Note that the increased leverage means that the horizontal tail can be smaller as well. There are several things to consider in a T-tail design. T-tails are often used on regional airliners and business jets. When I sell my Archer, I'm buying a lance. Thanks for the photo of the model. Legal. I have had several mechanics and old timers tell me my conversion is one of the best they have seen. Does a tandem ultralight need flaps on the rear wing if the front wing has flaps? [3], The design and structure of a T-tail can be simpler. For a T-tail you have a greater chance of deep stall (or super stall as people over the pond seem to call it!) The tail provides stability and control for the aircraft in flight. Get Boldmethod flying tips and videos direct to your inbox. Answer (1 of 17): A T-tail increases manufacturing and operating costs. In a normal tailed engine aircraft, when the pilot increases power, he gets wind over the tail and has control authority of the aircraft. It can help to increase the effectiveness of the vertical tail by keeping the air on both sides of it separated. The horizontal stabilizer acts like a winglet, reducing induced drag of the rudder. Can airtags be tracked from an iMac desktop, with no iPhone? Tell us in the comments below. The C2 has a conventional tail rotor: The RPM of the tail rotor on the C2 is roughly 2150 RPM. My thoughts on 159 hours in rented T-tail Turbo Arrows One nice feature on my Sky Arrow is that the position of the CG means that if you lower the tail to the ground it stays there: I think the OP was asking about 'real' planes. Guy Inchbald / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0. Either way it makes more sense to have a pitch up tendency when appying more thrust. You might see V-Tails used on high-performance models, such as slope soaring or discuss launch gliders.