# Canard (foreplane ahead of the wing)

> What is a canard and why do some aircraft put the tail in front?

- Category: Aircraft design › Tail configurations
- Kind: Standard part
- Basis: Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio
- Page: https://xemstudio.com/objects/canard/ · JSON: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=canard · Plain text: https://xemstudio.com/objects/canard/sheet.txt
- License: dimension sheet CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio); files Xem Studio Design License (free to use and sell from, not to redistribute as files: https://xemstudio.com/license/)
- Use in every chat: add https://xemstudio.com/mcp as a connector (https://xemstudio.com/use-with-ai/)

**Exact dimensions.** True size, with no printing tolerance added.

## Notes

- A canard is a horizontal surface ahead of the wing that lifts upward to hold the nose up, instead of pushing down like an aft tail; FAA notes it is theoretically more efficient because it helps carry the weight (PHAK ch.6).
- If the canard stalls before the wing, longitudinal stability and stall resistance increase (NASA TP-2623); in NASA's tunnel test, full elevator at mid c.g. could only trim to about 15 deg, below wing stall. At aft c.g. the same model showed a potential deep-stall trim near 53 deg, so c.g. limits matter.
- NASA's model needed an outboard leading-edge droop to stop premature wing-tip stall and wing rock (TP-2623).
- Used on: Wright Flyer, Piaggio P180, Beech Starship, X-29.
- 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.

## Sizes

| parameter | value or range | source |
|---|---|---|
| Canard aspect ratio (NASA test model) | 11.90 (wing 9.18) | NASA TP-2623 |
| Trim limit, mid c.g., full elevator | about 15 deg AoA (below wing stall) | NASA TP-2623 |
| Potential deep-stall trim, aft c.g. | about 53 deg AoA | NASA TP-2623 |
| Outboard LE droop added | ~6% chord extension, ~3% camber on outer 25% span | NASA TP-2623 |
| Reference build | canard 300 x 60 mm, arm 500 mm ahead of wing | illustrative |

## Where the files are

- FAA: [Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25), Ch. 6 Flight Controls](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/08_phak_ch6.pdf) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
- NASA Langley (D. Satran): [Wind-Tunnel Investigation of the Flight Characteristics of a Canard General-Aviation Airplane Configuration, NASA TP-2623 (1986)](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19870000606/downloads/19870000606.pdf) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
- Kitplanes (B. Wainfan): [Wind Tunnel: More Flying Fleas (2017)](https://www.kitplanes.com/wind-tunnel-65/) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
- Kitplanes (B. Wainfan): [Wind Tunnel: Vortex Generators and STOL Performance (2012)](https://www.kitplanes.com/wind-tunnel-14/) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
- NASA Armstrong: [X-29 Fact Sheet FS-008](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/fs-008-afrc.pdf) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts

## Free STEP/STL (1 parts, Xem Studio Design License, Xem Studio)

Index: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/canard/index.json · license: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/canard/LICENSE.md

- canard-tail: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/canard/canard-tail.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/canard/canard-tail.stl) — canard layout: horizontal span 300 × chord 60, vertical 120 × 90 mm on a 500 mm boom, NACA 0009 surfaces

## Questions

**Why is a canard stall-resistant?**

The canard is set to stall first; when it does the nose drops before the wing stalls (NASA TP-2623).

**Is a canard more efficient?**

Theoretically, because it lifts rather than pushing down (FAA PHAK ch.6).

## Fits with

- [Tail volume coefficient (horizontal and vertical tail sizing)](https://xemstudio.com/objects/tail-volume-coefficient/)
- [Tail moment arm (tail lever arm ratios)](https://xemstudio.com/objects/tail-moment-arm/)
- [Conventional tail (low-mounted stabiliser and single fin)](https://xemstudio.com/objects/conventional-tail/)
- [T-tail (stabiliser on top of the fin)](https://xemstudio.com/objects/t-tail/)
- [Cruciform tail (stabiliser part-way up the fin)](https://xemstudio.com/objects/cruciform-tail/)
- [V-tail (butterfly tail with ruddervators)](https://xemstudio.com/objects/v-tail/)