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Q:
Will we ever see large airliners without vertical stabilizers to control yaw ?
A:
The vertical stabilizer is a very important part of an airplane’s stability. An airplane can fly without one, but it would be very difficult to control by a human. An aircraft with no vertical stabilizer would require more control surfaces to stabilize the flight, which can be inefficient. A tailless airplane is also unstable by nature, and is considered too unsafe for passengers by the current rules. It is unlikely that a tailless airliner will be built in the next ten years. However, companies are working on tailless designs that could be used in the distant future.
Posted on April 3, 2015 at 12:37 am
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