ORIGINAL: Stevel182

em·pen·nage [ahm-puh-nahzh, em-; Fr. ahn-pe-nazh]

the rear part of an airplane or airship, usually comprising the stabilizer, elevator, vertical fin, and rudder.

[Origin: 1905–10; < F: lit., feathering, equiv. to empenn(er) to feather an arrow
(em- em-1 + -penner, deriv. of penne feather; see pen1) + -age -age]

It's a great word to throw around at swap meets. "gosh, she's really got a great empennage"

Well, it's fun for me anyway.

Stevel