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

[Dano]

Originally Posted by engarde

hahahahaaa

you could have easily determined what I had posted, but you complained anyway.

thank GOD for the forum whiners.

a typical forum stalwart.

No, I merely pointed out how pointless it was to post an edited link when using the proper one was easier, sorry that you took offense

[swiss]

Originally Posted by engarde

hmmm.

why dont you tell me.

There were even Airliners who landed without (the mid air lost) empennage.
They start to skid and roll, but they still keep flying.

And: The B2 flies too, right?

[Fafnir_6]

Originally Posted by moilami

Rofl I find the title of the video offending

Haha! Good one Moilami .

Fafnir_6

[badfinger]

Originally Posted by swiss

Actually an IAF F15 landed without the starboard wing.

Must have been a FM bug too, lol.

The whole F-15 landing without a wing story is an urban legend.

binky9

[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

[swiss]

Originally Posted by binky9

The whole F-15 landing without a wing story is an urban legend.

binky9

You should supply proof.

[janpitor]

I saw some photos and also a video...so it´s not an urban legend...It´s fully possible because of the width of fuselage and engines

[choctaw111]

Approximately 83%?
That made me laugh