{
 "version": "2026-10-20",
 "license": "Dimension sheets: CC BY 4.0. Standard and published-size files: CC BY 4.0. Xem Studio's own designs (files_license = Xem Studio Design License): free to use and sell things from, not to redistribute as files — https://xemstudio.com/license/. Other publishers' files: their own license, linked beside them.",
 "slug": "conventional-tail",
 "name": "Conventional tail (low-mounted stabiliser and single fin)",
 "kind": "standard",
 "category": "Aircraft design",
 "group": "Tail configurations",
 "year": null,
 "question": "What is a conventional aircraft tail and why is it the default?",
 "tags": [
  "vehicle design",
  "tail configurations",
  "rc design",
  "aerodynamics"
 ],
 "aliases": [
  "conventional tail",
  "standard aircraft tail",
  "low tail",
  "conventional empennage",
  "rc plane tail design",
  "horizontal stabilizer and vertical fin",
  "normal tail configuration",
  "airplane tail types",
  "conventional tail vs t-tail",
  "low mounted stabilizer"
 ],
 "overall_mm": {
  "length": null,
  "width": null,
  "height": null
 },
 "official_cad": false,
 "xem_status": "free-files",
 "les": false,
 "free_files": 1,
 "url": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/conventional-tail/",
 "sheet_txt": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/conventional-tail/sheet.txt",
 "sheet": {
  "basis": "Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio",
  "overall_mm": {
   "length": null,
   "width": null,
   "height": null
  },
  "notes": [
   "A conventional tail mounts the horizontal stabiliser low on the fuselage with a single fin above it; Arnedo calls it structurally compact and aerodynamically efficient, the standard for aircraft with under-wing engines.",
   "It is easy and cheap to build and hard to stall, but it sits in the wing's downwash and the propeller slipstream (Bhattacharya et al.; Kitplanes). On single-engine tractor aircraft the slipstream over a low tail helps raise the nosewheel, which a T-tail loses (Kitplanes T-Tails).",
   "Size it with the tail volume coefficient: Raymer-type tables give Vh 0.50/Vv 0.04 for homebuilts and 0.70/0.04 for GA singles (HAW Hamburg Table 2.1).",
   "Used on: Cessna 172, Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, Boeing 777, Airbus A320, Piper Cherokee Six (PA-32).",
   "The file is a reference example built by Xem Studio from the numbers above. Sizes the sources do not fix are illustrative; scale the example to your own vehicle."
  ],
  "table": {
   "columns": [
    "parameter",
    "value or range",
    "source"
   ],
   "rows": [
    [
     "Homebuilt Vh / Vv",
     "0.50 / 0.04",
     "HAW Hamburg Table 2.1"
    ],
    [
     "GA single Vh / Vv",
     "0.70 / 0.04",
     "HAW Hamburg Table 2.1"
    ],
    [
     "Horizontal vs vertical tail arm",
     "horizontal about 5% longer",
     "Scholz 2021"
    ],
    [
     "Piper J-3 Sh/Sw, Sv/Sw",
     "13.7%, 5.7%",
     "EAA62 (Pazmany)"
    ],
    [
     "Reference build",
     "Sh 40,000 mm^2 (400 x 100), Sv 16,000 mm^2 (140 x 114), arm 500 mm on a 1000 x 200 mm wing",
     "computed (Vh 0.50, Vv 0.04)"
    ]
   ]
  }
 },
 "sheet_text": "Conventional tail (low-mounted stabiliser and single fin) — dimension sheet\nSource: Xem Studio, https://xemstudio.com/objects/conventional-tail/  (sheet CC BY 4.0; files Xem Studio Design License, https://xemstudio.com/license/)\nBasis: Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio\nCatalog version: 2026-10-20\n\nSizes: see table below\n- A conventional tail mounts the horizontal stabiliser low on the fuselage with a single fin above it; Arnedo calls it structurally compact and aerodynamically efficient, the standard for aircraft with under-wing engines.\n- It is easy and cheap to build and hard to stall, but it sits in the wing's downwash and the propeller slipstream (Bhattacharya et al.; Kitplanes). On single-engine tractor aircraft the slipstream over a low tail helps raise the nosewheel, which a T-tail loses (Kitplanes T-Tails).\n- Size it with the tail volume coefficient: Raymer-type tables give Vh 0.50/Vv 0.04 for homebuilts and 0.70/0.04 for GA singles (HAW Hamburg Table 2.1).\n- Used on: Cessna 172, Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, Boeing 777, Airbus A320, Piper Cherokee Six (PA-32).\n- The file is a reference example built by Xem Studio from the numbers above. Sizes the sources do not fix are illustrative; scale the example to your own vehicle.\n\nparameter  value or range  source\nHomebuilt Vh / Vv  0.50 / 0.04  HAW Hamburg Table 2.1\nGA single Vh / Vv  0.70 / 0.04  HAW Hamburg Table 2.1\nHorizontal vs vertical tail arm  horizontal about 5% longer  Scholz 2021\nPiper J-3 Sh/Sw, Sv/Sw  13.7%, 5.7%  EAA62 (Pazmany)\nReference build  Sh 40,000 mm^2 (400 x 100), Sv 16,000 mm^2 (140 x 114), arm 500 mm on a 1000 x 200 mm wing  computed (Vh 0.50, Vv 0.04)\n\nFiles elsewhere (not hosted by Xem Studio; license as stated by the publisher):\n- LibreTexts (Arnedo, Fundamentals of Aerospace Engineering): 2.2.3 Empennage — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts — https://eng.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Aerospace_Engineering/Fundamentals_of_Aerospace_Engineering_(Arnedo)/02%3A_Generalities/2.02%3A_Parts_of_the_aircraft/2.2.03%3A_Empennage\n- engrXiv (Bhattacharya et al., ICMMM 2023): Design and Computational Analysis of Y-tail Configuration for Maritime UAV — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts — https://engrxiv.org/preprint/download/6582/10812/9153\n- Kitplanes (B. Wainfan): Design Process: T-Tails (2022) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts — https://www.kitplanes.com/design-process-t-tails/\n- HAW Hamburg (Aircraft Design and Systems Group): Empennage sizing: tail lever arm as % of fuselage length (thesis; Table 2.1 typical tail volume coefficients) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts — https://www.fzt.haw-hamburg.de/pers/Scholz/arbeiten/TextMcDavid.pdf\n- INCAS Bulletin / HAW Hamburg (D. Scholz): Empennage sizing with the tail volume complemented with a method for dorsal fin layout (2021) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts — https://www.fzt.haw-hamburg.de/pers/Scholz/Aero/AERO_PUB_INCAS_TailVolume_Vol13No3_2021.pdf\n- EAA Chapter 62 (Stan Hall, from Pazmany 'Light Airplane Design'): How Big The Tail — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts — https://eaa62.org/technotes/tail.htm\n\nFree files (Xem Studio Design License, Xem Studio; STEP + STL, 1 parts): https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/conventional-tail/index.json\nAPI: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=conventional-tail\n",
 "sources": [
  {
   "publisher": "LibreTexts (Arnedo, Fundamentals of Aerospace Engineering)",
   "title": "2.2.3 Empennage",
   "url": "https://eng.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Aerospace_Engineering/Fundamentals_of_Aerospace_Engineering_(Arnedo)/02%3A_Generalities/2.02%3A_Parts_of_the_aircraft/2.2.03%3A_Empennage",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "Publisher's page; dimensions are facts",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  },
  {
   "publisher": "engrXiv (Bhattacharya et al., ICMMM 2023)",
   "title": "Design and Computational Analysis of Y-tail Configuration for Maritime UAV",
   "url": "https://engrxiv.org/preprint/download/6582/10812/9153",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "Publisher's page; dimensions are facts",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  },
  {
   "publisher": "Kitplanes (B. Wainfan)",
   "title": "Design Process: T-Tails (2022)",
   "url": "https://www.kitplanes.com/design-process-t-tails/",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "Publisher's page; dimensions are facts",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  },
  {
   "publisher": "HAW Hamburg (Aircraft Design and Systems Group)",
   "title": "Empennage sizing: tail lever arm as % of fuselage length (thesis; Table 2.1 typical tail volume coefficients)",
   "url": "https://www.fzt.haw-hamburg.de/pers/Scholz/arbeiten/TextMcDavid.pdf",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "Publisher's page; dimensions are facts",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  },
  {
   "publisher": "INCAS Bulletin / HAW Hamburg (D. Scholz)",
   "title": "Empennage sizing with the tail volume complemented with a method for dorsal fin layout (2021)",
   "url": "https://www.fzt.haw-hamburg.de/pers/Scholz/Aero/AERO_PUB_INCAS_TailVolume_Vol13No3_2021.pdf",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "Publisher's page; dimensions are facts",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  },
  {
   "publisher": "EAA Chapter 62 (Stan Hall, from Pazmany 'Light Airplane Design')",
   "title": "How Big The Tail",
   "url": "https://eaa62.org/technotes/tail.htm",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "Publisher's page; dimensions are facts",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  }
 ],
 "xem": {
  "status": "free-files",
  "sheet_free": true,
  "mesh_price_usd": null,
  "step_price_usd": null,
  "tolerance_mm": null
 },
 "related": [
  "tail-volume-coefficient",
  "tail-moment-arm",
  "t-tail",
  "cruciform-tail",
  "v-tail",
  "inverted-v-tail"
 ],
 "fits": [],
 "dimensions": "exact (nominal, no printing tolerance)",
 "dimension_rule": "All geometry on Xem Studio is exact (nominal, true size) with no printing tolerance. Where a part meets another part, the object lists its mating features (feature, exact size, what it mates with, fit class: press, slide, run, socket, clamp or designed). Apply your process's allowance to those features only; 'designed' gaps are part of the design and stay as drawn.",
 "mating": [],
 "faq": [
  {
   "q": "Is a conventional tail better than a T-tail?",
   "a": "It is lighter and avoids T-tail deep stall, but it sits in wing downwash and propwash (Arnedo; Kitplanes T-Tails)."
  }
 ],
 "files_license": {
  "name": "Xem Studio Design License",
  "holder": "Xem Studio",
  "url": "https://xemstudio.com/license/",
  "note": "Xem Studio's own design: free to use, print, modify and sell things made from it; not to be republished or redistributed as files."
 },
 "offers": [
  {
   "file": "conventional-tail-tail",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "Xem Studio Design License",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/conventional-tail/conventional-tail-tail.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/conventional-tail/conventional-tail-tail.stl",
   "note": "conventional layout: horizontal span 400 × chord 100, vertical 140 × 114 mm on a 500 mm boom, NACA 0009 surfaces"
  }
 ],
 "markdown": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/conventional-tail/index.md"
}