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negative incidence, and hence negative lift, in the outboard sections, creating overall stability in both pitch and yaw. A single control surface on the trailing edge of each wing tip acted as combined aileron and elevator. Dunne had an advanced qualitative appreciation of the aerodynamic principles involved, even understanding how negative lift at the wing tips, combined with steep downward-angled anhedral, enhanced directional stability.
25:
122:
448:. While a swept wing is stable in straight flight, it still experiences adverse yaw during a turn. One solution is to give the wing sufficient twist for the outer section to angle downwards and give negative lift. This reverses the adverse yaw action of the ailerons, helping the plane into the turn and eliminating the need for a vertical rudder or differential-drag spoilers.
500:
developed a series of tailless aircraft intended to be inherently stable and unstallable. Inspired by his studies of seagulls in flight, they were characterised by swept wings with a conical upper surface. The cone was arranged so that the wing twisted progressively outwards towards the tips creating
333:
curvature. In level flight the aircraft should be trimmed so that the tips do not contribute any lift: they may even need to provide a small downthrust. This reduces the overall efficiency of the wing, but for many designs – especially for high speeds – this is outweighed by the
826:
sufficient to set the wing tips at a negative angle and create the same positive roll-yaw coupling. Bowers developed a quantitative analysis of the lifting characteristics, leading to his more general discovery of a bell-shaped lift distribution which minimises induced drag for the aircraft weight.
731:
experimental aircraft developed in the United States after World War II to fly in research programs exploring the challenges of high-speed transonic flight and beyond. It had aerodynamic problems similar to those of the DH.108, but both X-4 examples built survived their flight test programs without
410:
Many early designs failed to provide effective pitch control to compensate for the missing stabiliser. Some examples were stable but their height could only be controlled using engine power. Others could pitch up or down sharply and uncontrollably if they were not carefully handled. These gave
356:
on the rear or all of the wing. With reflex camber the flatter side of the wing is on top, and the strongly curved side is on the bottom, so the front section presents a high angle of attack while the back section is more horizontal and contributes no lift, so acting like a tailplane or the
282:
surface separate from its main wing. This extra surface causes additional drag requiring a more powerful engine, especially at high speeds. If longitudinal (pitch) stability and control can be achieved by some other method (see below), the stabiliser can be removed and the drag reduced.
381:
A simpler approach is to overcome the instability by locating the main weight of the aircraft a significant distance below the wing, so that gravity will tend to maintain the aircraft in a horizontal attitude and so counteract any aerodynamic instability, as in the
427:
tailless delta series and its derivatives were among the most widely used combat jets. However even in the Mirage, pitch control at the high angles of attack experienced during takeoff and landing could be problematic and some later derivatives featured additional
422:
less. Thus a tailless type may experience higher drag during pitching manoeuvres than its conventional equivalent. In a highly swept delta wing the distance between trailing edge and aerodynamic centre is larger so enlarged surfaces are not required. The
369:
than sweepback and washout, and designs have included straight and even circular (Arup) wings. But the drag inherent in a high angle of attack is generally regarded as making the design inefficient, and only a few production types, such as the
747:
series of supersonic jet fighters were an example of the tailless delta configuration, and became one of the most widely produced of all
Western jet aircraft. By contrast the Soviet Union's equivalent widely produced delta-winged fighter, the
675:
jet fighter. One of these was possibly one of the first aircraft ever to break the sound barrier – it did so during a shallow dive, and the sonic boom was heard by several witnesses. All three built were lost in fatal crashes.
393:
Stability can also be provided artificially. There is a trade-off between stability and maneuverability. A high level of maneuverability requires a low level of stability. Some modern hi-tech combat aircraft are
527:
to that effect. It thus became the first aeroplane ever to achieve natural stability in flight, as well as the first practical tailless aeroplane. The later D.8 was license-built and sold commercially by
411:
tailless designs a reputation for instability. It was not until the later success of the tailless delta configuration in the jet age that this reputation was widely accepted to be undeserved.
365:, reflex camber tends to create a small downthrust, so the angle of attack of the wing is increased to compensate. This in turn creates additional drag. This method allows a wider choice of
334:
reductions in drag, weight and cost over a conventional stabiliser. The long wing span also reduces manoeuvrability, and for this reason Dunne's design was rejected by the
British Army.
899:, Wiley (2013), Section 6.2.3. Plan View Classification, Category B Planar monoplane single body: "B4 – Tailless aircraft: lacks a horizontal stabiliser but does have a vertical tail."
322:
of the outer wing section allows the outer wing to act like a conventional tailplane stabiliser. If this is done progressively along the span of the outer section, it is called
386:. However, in practice this is seldom sufficient to provide stability on its own, and typically is augmented by the aerodynamic techniques described. A classic example is the
418:
surfaces on the wing trailing edge. Unless the wing is highly swept, these must generate large control forces, as their distance from the aerodynamic center is small and the
621:
In the 1930s, Walter and Reimar Horten started to build simple tailless gliders, the first of which flew in 1933. The
Hortens designed the world's first jet-powered
539:
of 1911 was a pusher type high-wing monoplane which also featured pronounced anhedral or droop to the wing tips. The control surfaces now also acted as rudders.
611:. It was the only rocket-powered interceptor ever to be placed in front-line service, and was the fastest aircraft to reach operational service during the war.
571:
of tailless aircraft from the 1920s onwards. Hill also began to develop the theory of the intrinsically stable aerofoil and incorporated it into his designs.
836:
912:, McGraw-Hill (2013), Page 101: "A flying wing is a tailless aircraft that ... may have some small additions ... such as ... vertical stabilizers ...."
512:, typically featuring a fuselage nacelle between the planes with rear-mounted pusher propeller and fixed endplate fins between each pair of wing tips.
361:
to a conventional airfoil and trimming them noticeably upwards; the center of gravity must also be moved forward of the usual position. Due to the
586:
produced his first tailless design, the Delta I, in 1931. He went on to build a series of ever-more sophisticated designs, and at the end of the
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732:
serious incidents through some 80 total research flights from 1950 to 1953, only reaching top speeds of 640 mph (1,035 km/h).
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He applied this distribution in the "Prandtl-D" series of designs. By the end of 2017, he had flown three such research models.
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61:
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The NASA Preliminary
Research Aerodynamic Design To Lower Drag (PRANDTL-D) wing has been developed by Al Bowers at the NASA
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A conventional aeroplane is unstable in yaw and needs a tail fin to keep it straight. Movement of the ailerons creates an
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has no other horizontal surface besides its main wing. The aerodynamic control and stabilisation functions in both
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303:. There are two main ways for the designer to achieve this, the first being developed by the pioneer aviator
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Tailless aircraft have been flown since the pioneer days; the first stable aeroplane to fly was the tailless
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Many of Dunne's ideas on stability remain valid, and he is known to have influenced later designers such as
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also sought a stable, unstallable design. Dunne gave some help initially and Hill went on to produce the
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strategic reconnaissance aircraft is the fastest jet powered aircraft, achieving speeds above Mach 3.
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are incorporated into the main wing. A tailless type may still have a conventional vertical tail fin (
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661:
568:
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800:
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for a given weight (compared to the elliptical distribution, which minimises it for a given span).
395:
897:
Advanced
Aircraft Design: Conceptual Design, Analysis and Optimization of Subsonic Civil Airplanes
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295:
of an ordinary wing would lie ahead of the aircraft's center of gravity, creating instability in
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299:. Some other method must be used to move the aerodynamic center backward and make the aircraft
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to exceed the speed of sound. Convair built several other successful tailless delta types.
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flew in 1941 and a succession of tailless types followed, some of them true flying wings.
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After his Army work had ended, in 1910 the D.5 biplane was witnessed in stable flight by
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Similar to the DH.108, the twin-jet powered 1948-vintage
Northrop X-4 was one of the
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940:"On Wings of the Minimum Induced Drag: Spanload Implications for Aircraft and Birds"
451:
The bell-shaped lift distribution this produces has also been shown to minimise the
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German theorists further developed the theory of the stable aerofoil. The designer
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228:
1115:"Tailless trials, Tribute to a British Pioneer: The Dunne Biplanes and Monoplane."
791:
wings. The grace and beauty of these aircraft in flight were often remarked upon.
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hang glider, which uses the same sweepback, washout and conical surface as Dunne.
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washed-out tips of a swept wing. Reflex camber can be simulated by fitting large
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A tailless aeroplane has no separate horizontal stabilizer. Because of this the
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and, like Dunne, by watching bird flight. As with the Dunne design, it has a
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Preliminary
Research Aerodynamic Design To Lower Drag (PRANDTL): An Overview
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in pitch and rely on fly-by-wire computer control to provide stability. The
197:, in 1910. The most successful tailless configuration has been the tailless
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265:, having the pilot, engines, etc. located wholly or partially in the wing.
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Flying Wing-Shaped
Experimental Airplane Validating New Wing Design Method
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1064:"Omega Tau, 256 – Flight Research at NASA Armstrong, Part 1: Subscale"
875:(1st American ed.). New York: Frederick Fell, Inc. p. 259.
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pulling it out of the turn, which also has to be compensated by the
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Aircraft whose only horizontal aerodynamic surface is its main wing
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The solution usually adopted is to provide large elevator and/or
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Theoretical advantages of the tailless configuration include low
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developed the tailless jet-powered research aircraft called the
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series of sailplanes and fighters. These use an unusual wing
508:, Dunne's initial designs for the Army were required to be
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on the first tailless aircraft to go into production, the
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bomber. Disadvantages include a potential sensitivity to
329:. Dunne achieved it by giving the wing upper surface a
787:, were tailless supersonic jet airliners, with ogival
640:
was developing his own ideas on tailless designs. The
1066:(Interview). Interviewed by Markus Völter. Omega Tau.
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
976:J. W. Dunne; "The Theory of the Dunne Aeroplane",
215:which has a canard foreplane but no vertical fin.
211:has used the 'tailless' description for the novel
1141: – discussion of design and stability.
310:Sweeping the wing leading edge back, either as a
261:is a tailless design which also lacks a distinct
1146:
1094:NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Prandtl-D Aircraft
984:between 16 August 1913 and 13 September 1913,
938:Bowers, Albion; Murillo, Oscar (March 2016).
937:
575:Lippisch deltas and the Messerschmitt Me 163
482:A Burgess-Dunne biplane in the US Army, 1917.
201:, especially for combat aircraft, though the
660:In the 1940s, the British aircraft designer
182:and good stealth characteristics as on the
933:
931:
671:, built using the forward fuselage of the
600:, Lippisch worked for the German designer
523:, who submitted an official report to the
591:was taken to America to continue his work
337:An alternative is the use of low or null
286:
278:A conventional fixed-wing aircraft has a
218:
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
980:, April 1913, pp. 83-102. Serialised in
923:Tailless Aircraft in theory and Practice
477:
205:airliner is also a delta configuration.
120:
928:
535:He also returned to his monoplane. The
1147:
1061:
910:Aircraft Basic Science, Eighth Edition
636:In parallel with Lippisch, in the US,
1107:
870:
818:. Bowers was inspired by the work of
553:
378:series of sailplanes, have used it.
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
857:
504:Although originally conceived as a
13:
1078:Subscale Glider Makes First Flight
993:"An Automatic Stability machine",
783:, and its Soviet counterpart, the
702:, designed under the direction of
14:
1176:
1132:
532:in America as the Burgess-Dunne.
1098:Armstrong Flight Research Center
1082:Armstrong Flight Research Center
1050:Armstrong Flight Research Center
1034:Armstrong Flight Research Center
997:18 February 1911, Pages 133-134.
816:Armstrong Flight Research Center
559:G.T.R. Hill and the Pterodactyls
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23:
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1012:, Pub. Sutton, England (2000),
921:Nickel, K.; and Wohlfahrt, W.;
752:, does have a tail stabiliser.
352:section with reflex or reverse
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34:needs additional citations for
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837:Movement of center of pressure
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842:Longitudinal static stability
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1128:, 27 May 1943, pp, 556–558.
908:Kroes, Rardon & Nolan;
830:
548:Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
492:Between 1905 and 1913, the
402:flying wing is an example.
400:Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
10:
1181:
1010:Concorde: The inside story
764:prototype became the only
729:series of postwar X-planes
647:
525:Royal Aeronautical Society
485:
467:History of the flying wing
458:
344:, seen for example in the
250:
1062:Bowers, Al (2017-07-26).
847:List of tailless aircraft
713:project and built by the
662:John Carver Meadows Frost
151:surface besides its main
147:with no other horizontal
978:The Aeronautical Journal
873:A Dictionary of Aviation
871:Wragg, David W. (1974).
801:Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
795:Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
396:aerodynamically unstable
750:Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
273:
958:Cite journal requires
925:, ButterHeinem (1994).
483:
287:Longitudinal stability
219:Aircraft configuration
213:X-36 research aircraft
155:. It may still have a
132:
496:Officer and aeronaut
481:
280:horizontal stabiliser
159:, vertical tail fin (
124:
1165:Aircraft wing design
781:Supersonic transport
772:Supersonic airliners
762:Convair F2Y Sea Dart
756:Convair F2Y Sea Dart
673:de Havilland Vampire
666:de Havilland DH.108
653:de Havilland DH 108
43:improve this article
1160:Wing configurations
722:Northrop X-4 Bantam
602:Willy Messerschmitt
565:Geoffrey T. R. Hill
530:W. Starling Burgess
318:, and reducing the
237:vertical stabilizer
184:Northrop B-2 Spirit
163:), and/or vertical
161:vertical stabilizer
58:"Tailless aircraft"
1108:General references
760:In the 1950s, the
700:transport aircraft
584:Alexander Lippisch
569:Pterodactyl series
554:Inter-war and WWII
484:
320:angle of incidence
293:aerodynamic center
133:
1155:Tailless aircraft
1139:Tailless Aircraft
1018:978-0-7509-2393-4
776:The Anglo-French
706:and based on the
563:After WWI, pilot
550:stealth bomber).
225:tailless aircraft
141:tailless aircraft
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588:Second World War
544:John K. Northrop
363:Bernoulli effect
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54:Find sources:
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32:This article
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688:DINFIA IA 38
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453:induced drag
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388:Rogallo wing
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41:Please help
36:verification
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743:The French
681:FMA I.Ae 38
623:flying wing
596:During the
498:J. W. Dunne
488:J. W. Dunne
474:J. W. Dunne
442:adverse yaw
305:J. W. Dunne
259:flying wing
253:Flying wing
247:Flying wing
176:Horten H.IV
149:aerodynamic
137:aeronautics
1149:Categories
853:References
824:wing twist
432:surfaces.
384:paraglider
316:delta wing
312:swept wing
174:as on the
99:March 2021
69:newspapers
1123:"p. 558."
1119:"p. 557."
1068:(podcast)
809:PRANDTL-D
736:Dassault
698:tailless
692:Argentine
506:monoplane
465:See also
359:elevators
195:Dunne D.5
831:See also
778:Concorde
766:seaplane
632:Northrop
510:biplanes
350:aerofoil
342:airfoils
263:fuselage
203:Concorde
178:soaring
157:fuselage
145:aircraft
1096:, Nasa
1080:, Nasa
1048:, Nasa
1032:, Nasa
668:Swallow
655:Swallow
648:Postwar
606:Me 163
459:History
420:moments
331:conical
326:washout
129:Swallow
83:scholar
1126:Flight
1100:, 2016
1084:, 2015
1052:, 2016
1036:, 2015
1016:
995:Flight
982:Flight
879:
745:Mirage
738:Mirage
715:DINFIA
708:German
625:, the
446:rudder
430:canard
416:elevon
372:Fauvel
354:camber
346:Horten
301:stable
241:rudder
239:) and
180:glider
165:rudder
143:is an
127:DH108
85:
78:
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943:(PDF)
807:NASA
789:delta
608:Komet
577:Komet
297:pitch
229:pitch
199:delta
90:JSTOR
76:books
1014:ISBN
964:help
877:ISBN
686:The
642:N-1M
519:and
374:and
324:tip
274:Drag
233:roll
231:and
209:NASA
188:trim
153:wing
139:, a
125:The
62:news
537:D.6
314:or
135:In
45:by
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1117:,
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