Plane Facts: Tails

Primary function: Stabilization, control

Most common design: Conventional

% of aircraft with conventional tails: ~75%

Other common tail designs: V-Tail, T-Tail, Cruciform, Dual-Tail, Inverted Y

Popular in fighter jets: Twin Tail, aka Double Vertical Stabilizer

Advantage: Redundancy in case of battle damage

Stabilizers on first Douglas DC-4 model: 5 (three above, two below)

Purpose of multiple stabilizers: Fit aircraft into DC-3 Hangar

First flight: 1939

Last flight: 1939

Renamed: DC-4E, for "Extinct"

Main problem cited: Stability due to tail design

Stabilizers on second DC-4 Model: 1

World's largest aircraft by wingspan: Stratolaunch

Tails: 2

Tail height: 50 ft.

Tail height of Sky Baby, world's smallest airplane (1952): 5 ft.

Tallest tail in service: 79 ft.

Aircraft: Airbus A380-800

Tail width: 99.6 ft.

Surface area of vertical stabilizer: 2,421.9 sq. ft.

Horizontal stabilizer (each side): 2,314.8 sq. ft.

Average size of U.S. house: 2,392 sq. ft.

Tails on U.S. space shuttles: 0

First tail-less aircraft produced: 1906

Advantage: Reduced weight and drag

Most successful tailless configuration: Delta Wing (triangular)

Popular in: Stealth military aircraft

Modern military tailless model: Northrop Grumman RQ-180 (USAF)

Surface ceiling: 60,700 ft.

Max speed: 590 mph

Crew required: 0

Most controversial tail design: V-Tail

Popularly known as: "Butterfly Tail"

Invented: 1930, by Jerzy Rudlicki

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Dead weight reduction of tail structure: 35%

First aircraft equipped: Hanriot H-28

Modern V-tail civilian aircraft: Cirrus Vision Jet

Most popular V-tailed mass-produced: Beechcraft Bonanza Model 35

Years: 1947-1982

Aircraft nickname: "Forked-Tail Doctor Killer"

Fatality rate (1952): 4.9/100,000 hours

Fatality rate of later models A35, B35 & C35: 2.5/100,000 hours

Average general aviation fatality rate: 1.05/100,000 hours

Bonanza's tail design since 1982: Conventional