Twin tail

A twin tail is a specific type of vertical stabilizer arrangement found on some aircraft. Two vertical stabilizers ? often smaller on their own than a single conventional tail would be ? are mounted at the outside of the aircraft's horizontal stabilizer. Separating the control surfaces allows for additional rudder area or vertical surface without requiring a massive single tail, simplifying hangar requirements and sometimes reducing weight. Many canard aircraft designs incorporate twin tails on the tips of the main wing. Very occasionally, three or more tails are used, as on the Lockheed Constellation and Boeing 314 Clipper.

Related Topics:
Vertical stabilizer - Aircraft - Horizontal stabilizer - Hangar - Canard - Wing - Lockheed Constellation - Boeing 314 Clipper

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Some significant aircraft with twin tails include the B-24 Liberator, Avro Lancaster, and P-38 Lightning. The arrangement is not limited to World War II-vintage aircraft, however. Many fighter aircraft, like the F-15 Eagle and Sukhoi Su-27, make use of twin tail configurations, as do civilian designs like the Antonov An-225 and Burt Rutan's Long-EZ and SpaceShipOne.

Related Topics:
B-24 Liberator - Avro Lancaster - P-38 Lightning - World War II - Fighter aircraft - F-15 Eagle - Sukhoi Su-27 - Antonov An-225 - Burt Rutan - Long-EZ - SpaceShipOne

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