Source: I study aeronautical engineering and we had to do an exercise involving finding the correct posistion for the HTP to minimize downdraft. T-tails are also often used when engines are mounted to the rear of the fuselage as often seen on business jets. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. And on the landing roll the tail can seem to lose authority all at once with the nose coming down. Cruciform tails are often used to keep the horizontal stabilizers out of the engine wake, while avoiding many of the disadvantages of a T-tail. The difference lies in the arrangement of their respective wheels. Popular in fighter jets: Twin Tail, aka Double Vertical Stabilizer. The "top view" of the tail represents the equivalent area of a flat horizontal tail, and the "side view" of the tail represents half the equivalent . Taildragger vs Tricycle Landing Gear: What's the Difference? Given the option, I preferred the conventional tail. Tailplane forces: The vertical stabilizer should be made stronger and stiffer in order to support all the forces generated by the tailplane. Control: T-tail design ensures the elevator and the aircraft stabilizer are out of the way of FOD kicked up by the engines and gears. First, it is true that using conventional tail leads to the fact that the airflow over the tail might be disturbed by the main wing and/or the engines and/or the fuselage. a lot of guys want the straight tail for the look of a 180 imo. Thanks. MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-82) because it removes the tail from the exhaust blast. Less drag: In a T-tail design, the arm of the CG is made smaller. In comparison with conventional-tail aircraft, the elevator on a T-tail aircraft must be moved a greater distance to raise the nose a given amount when traveling at slow speeds. Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR, Military Aircraft To give the perfect example let's have a look at the EC145 C2 and compare it to the H145 / EC145D2. (a) V-tail Configuration; (b) Tail-1: Conventional tail with tail equal There's a lot to this, and I'm no aircraft engineer, so if there are any other answers, I'll happily delete this. Cons: 1. 2. Why do big modern airplanes not use a T-tail configuration for the horizontal stabilizer? This is because the conventional-tail aircraft has the downwash from the propeller pushing down on the tail to assist in raising the nose. Create space for the engine: Have the tail surface mounted away from rear fuselage creates space for mounting engines. Pros: 1. I have had several mechanics and old timers tell me my conversion is one of the best they have seen.