what is the advantages (also disadvantages) of V tail

Started by akash, September 19, 2009, 12:09:25 PM

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akash

hi everyone..
V tail is used exclusively on gliders. what are the advantage and disadvantage of V tail?

martian2121

Quote from: akash on September 19, 2009, 12:09:25 PM
hi everyone..
V tail is used exclusively on gliders. what are the advantage and disadvantage of V tail?
Dear Akash,
V-Tails are not used exclusively for gliders, check out the video of redwolf, a spad........ its an rc plane used for aerial photography.........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am4U-Bs-KBA
He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool. Shun him. He who knows not and knows that he knows not is a child. Teach him. He who knows and knows not that he knows is asleep. Wake him. He who knows and knows that he knows is a wise man. Follow him.

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allthatido

hi akash
here's a wiki extract for you

Design use

The V-tail has not been a popular choice for aircraft manufacturers. The most popular V-tailed aircraft in mass production was the Beechcraft Bonanza Model 35, often known as the V-tail Bonanza or simply V-Tail. Other examples include the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, the Fouga Magister trainer, and the RQ-1 Predator UAV. The X-shaped tail surfaces of the experimental Lockheed XFV were essentially a V tail that extended both above and below the fuselage. Over 2000 Ultraflight Lazair ultralights were produced, all featuring an inverted V-tail.

Advantages

Ideally, with fewer surfaces than a conventional three-aerofoil tail or a T-tail, the V-tail is lighter, has less wetted surface area, and thus produces less drag. Unfortunately, often a larger surface area is required for the same performance and stability; the result is that usually there is no weight or drag advantage over a standard tail.[citation needed]

In modern day light jet general aviation aircraft such as the Cirrus Jet, Eclipse 400 or the unmanned aerial drone Global Hawk, the power plant is often placed outside the aircraft to protect the passengers and make certification easier. In such cases V-tails are used to avoid placing the vertical stabilizer in the exhaust of the engine, which would disrupt the flow of the exhaust reducing thrust, and wear on the stabilizer, possibly leading to damage over time.


Disadvantages
Combining the pitch and yaw controls is difficult and requires a more complex control system. The V-tail arrangement also places greater stress on the rear fuselage when pitching and yawing.

In the mid-1980s, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the Beechcraft Bonanza due to safety concerns. While the Bonanza met the initial certification requirements, it had a history of fatal mid-air breakups during extreme stress, at a rate exceeding the accepted norm. The type was deemed airworthy and restrictions removed after Beechcraft issued a structural modification as an Airworthiness Directive.


hope this helps

tg

Google search is a good tool for virtually most all questions . This one is one such - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-tail

izmile

In full scale V tail or slightly tilted vertical surfaces are used to reduce radar signature of the aircraft.
"Anything can fly" - SPADs just prove that!

pankaj