PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Ever flown a plane with a V-tail ?
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Old 19th Feb 2002, 19:21
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weirdy
 
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The V-tail is not really an issue when comparing aircraft like these. Aircraft of the type you mention are principally trainers and have been designed to produce certain characteristics of flight, spinning being one. More important than the tail design for spinning is the ratio of momentum about the pitching and rolling axis and the interplay between aerodynamic and inertial forces.

The one thing that is noticeable with a V tail is the inherent stability in that area caused by the exagerated dihedral. Rapid rolling inputs produce adverse yaw around the tail's centre of pressure giving the impression that that part of the aircraft really doesn't want to follow!

Incidentally the Fouga was initially designed as a wooden glider the CM813 with a conventional tail. France's first jet engine the Turbomeca Pimene with a thrust of 90kg was mounted behind the cockpit on top of the fuselage, the eflux impinged upon the fin, so they replaced it with a V tail! The rest is history. A subsequent development the 4 seater Paris resorted to a T tail, it's bulbous canopy masked the shorter V tail.

[ 19 February 2002: Message edited by: weirdy ]</p>
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