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Old 02-10-2003 | 01:23 AM
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BMatthews
 
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Default The Stabilizer Of A Plane

Yes it's possible but as you've seen the planform is pretty much restricted to a swept flying wing similar to the Northrop XB-35. Neither did the Horten wings require a fin as did that swept flying wing model from a few years back that was kitted. It's name started with an "H" also but I can't remember the name. It had a rep for being a little dicey for spiral stability but it DID fly without using any gyro or vertical fin as long as you respected it's limits.

For Zagi types and other flying wings using a prop as a power source adds some measure of fin effect. This means it had better be a pusher and not a nose (center leading edge?) mounted tractor design.Note that when the XB-35 prop plane was redone and came out as the YB-49 jet powered flying wing the reduction in fin effect caused by removing the props required the use of some small fins.

Add to this the possibility of using a heli gyro coupled to the split ruddervator controls and you have a fairly good possibility for success.

If you're talking about a conventional planform then I guess it would be possible but there would be so much more to look into. The F-36 tailless fighter uses a pretty fancy computer to control the flight mode. But I note that this pic seems to show split "rudderons" so perhaps something like this would be possible. I have NO idea where you'd start with equations though. It would be up to the side forces and drags and having the ability for the "rudderons" to overpower these forces to achieve a meaningful control effect.