On Feb 18, 2:02*pm, Dallas wrote:
Speaking of below 250 knot aircraft, does it really matter much what shape
they make the vertical stabilizer?

They seem to come in all kinds of shapes... de Havilland favored
elliptical, Cessna favors a swept back trapezoid, Mooney swept forward...
etc.

Aerodynamically speaking, what difference does it's shape make? *I guess
sweeping back creates a bit less drag than straight vertical. * But other
than that, we're not generating induced drag because it's not generating
lift. *It seems like area should be the only consideration. *

--
Dallas

I don't know that sweep reduces drag. It just looks faster.
Sometimes it appears swept because it's tapered and the trailing edge
is vertical. And a tapered vertical tail can be made lighter and have
less "tip" drag. Cessna's swept tail supposedly helps hold the nose up
a little in a turn if the rudder is deflected, but it would be a
minimal contribution, I think.

The old rounded tails were easy to make with small steel tubing
and fabric; lots harder with sheet metal. Rounded shapes were popular
in those old days--just look at the cars of the '40s. Angular shapes
were popular in the '60s and '70s, just like the cars of the day, and
airplanes were angular, too. Which mostly means that style sells
airplanes more than functionality.

Dan