In case you're wondering how planes fly without vertical fins....

[K_Freddie]

This is nothing..
I've landed a p40 without rudder, elevators (only a small section of the right tail plane was left - everything else was...gone) IN the midst of a freewheeling battle.

They call me a hero!!

[EJGr.Ost_Caspar]

Guys, its quite easy in fact: The veritical fin is not the only thing, that prevents a plane from skid and shift sidewards. The whole hull itself does also. Some planes have a wider hull, some a tighter. How big the ammount of helping stabilizing is, is determind by the shape, the lenght and the area.
Never wondered why such planes like this could fly wonderfull even with such small fin (is there even any?):





Its the fuselage, that also helps.
It is different with planes with more power and, torgue and rounded fuselages, but still, the effect is existant.

And I can imagine, that a pilot can do wonders with increasing and decreasing the power of the outside engines, just to correct the orientation of his B-29.

It not a handy nor an simple flying, and its much dangerous, but I don't think, its impossible.

[Splitter]

The good news is that if you lose either rudder or elevators, the other can be used to perform the same function...just tilt the wings. Like when you are in a tight turn with wings almost perpendicular to the ground...your rudder is acting like an elevator relative to the ground.

Now, when you lose both, you have serious trouble. I have never successfully landed a virtual single engine plane after losing both rudder and elevators. I'm sure others can and have, but I have never been able to get the power balance right without nose diving lol. Twin engine planes give a little more control with differential thrust but my success in landing isn't even 50% even then.

My last mission in a Pacific campaign ended with a successful (relative term) carrier landing with no vertical stabilizer and only one elevator. Without that little but of elevator control, I would have been going for a swim lol.

Splitter