Question for you pilots here

[caryc]

I'm watching the Netflix series called "Manifest". Right now the story line is going on about the recovered "tail fin" of the plane.

When I was into radio controlled model airplanes. We called that tail fin, the rudder. For all grounded personal here we're talking about the vertical fin on the tail of the plane. We also called the horizontal fins, stabilizers.

Is that term "tail fin" as they insist on calling it on the show, the correct term?

 

[WAYNO]

There are better descriptors, but in the industry, if a person said tail-fin, it would be understood. I always said vertical stabilizer, and said rudder only to describe the movable surface within the vertical stabilizer.

*Aeronautics
a projecting vertical surface on the tail of an aircraft, providing stability and typically housing the rudder.

 

[Snake45]

Wayno's correct. Rudder refers to the movable surface. Fin can refer to the whole vertical stabilizer, or to the fixed part.

I've seldom if ever heard the term "tail fin" used in aviation. That seems to be more of a term for fish or cars.

BTW, if you're not that far into Manifest, I'd suggest bailing. It just gets stupider and stupider. I watched all episodes on NBC as they were new. They keep teasing that "the secret will be revealed," but so far it hasn't, and I doubt it ever will be. And when it does, you can bet it will be as stupid as the finale of Lost.

 

[Heliman]

I agree with WAYNO completely.

 

[Bob Wright]

Well, the way I learned it, the terms "fin" or "vertical fin" referred to the whole assembly or just to the fixed part. The rudder was the movable part. And American airplanes had "windshields" while British planes had "windscreens." American planes had "landing gear" and British planes had "undercarriages."

Bob Wright

 

[crstrode]

It all depends on what your definition of "is" is

 

[bobski]

if you want a right answer, itll cost you a (fin.) :>

 

[caryc]

Wayno's correct. Rudder refers to the movable surface. Fin can refer to the whole vertical stabilizer, or to the fixed part.

I've seldom if ever heard the term "tail fin" used in aviation. That seems to be more of a term for fish or cars.

BTW, if you're not that far into Manifest, I'd suggest bailing. It just gets stupider and stupider. I watched all episodes on NBC as they were new. They keep teasing that "the secret will be revealed," but so far it hasn't, and I doubt it ever will be. And when it does, you can bet it will be as stupid as the finale of Lost.

Yeah, I'm about ready to bail. I never followed "Lost" to the end either. Lost was too stupid right from the start. That Polar bear on a tropical island did it for me.

 

[caryc]

OK, how about those wing fins?

 

[protoolman]

OK, how about those wing fins?

You mean winglets?

 

[wheelgun1958]

OK, how about those wing fins?

You mean winglets?

Airbus calls them sharklets. Now for the horizontal/vertical stab assembly, its called empennage.
Wrenching on airplanes since 1977, retired from AA last October.

 

[caryc]

I guess you pilots and mechanics are entitled to call them anything you want.

Me...I'm happy to stay right here on the ground.

 

[Montelores]

Here’s a great word for the aft aeronautical surfaces of an airplane:

Empennage

em·pen·nage (ĕm′pə-nĭj)

n.
The tail assembly of an aircraft, including the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, elevators, and rudder.
[French, feathers on an arrow, empennage, from empenner, to feather an arrow : en-, in; see en-1 + penne, feather (from Latin penna; see pet- in Indo-European roots).]

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/empennage

Monty

P.S. I see this was addressed previously…

 

[Bob Wright]

if you want a right answer, itll cost you a (fin.) :>

I gave y'all the Wright answer!

Bob Wright

 

[gramps]

Good morning gents. I have a “single engine land” pilots license. I have nothing to add, but loved the comments! Carry on my friends, y’all got me smiling!
gramps

 

[Bob Wright]

OK, how about those wing fins?

You mean winglets?

About 1948 or so, a classmate of mine drew a picture of a P-51 Mustang, but with turned up wing tips. I asked him about that and he said in the future all airplanes will have that feature, helps control the air flow. This from a fourth or fifth grade youngster.

Bob Wright

 

[bobski]

sharks have fins, not rudders. they dont move.
the tail 'fin' doesn't move.

 

[wheelgun1958]

sharks have fins, not rudders. they dont move.
the tail 'fin' doesn't move.

https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2013/10/airbus-launches-sharklet-retrofit-for-in-service-a320-family-aircraft.html

https://transitlite.com/airbus-a320-sharklets/

https://theflyingengineer.com/flightdeck/winglets-and-sharklets/

Airbus does a lot of things 'different'.

For stuff to ponder,

http://mobile.airlinetechs.com/airbus/airbusATA.html

https://www.sjap.nl/

 

[bobski]

its called 'painting a picture' or 'association' in lecturing.
its when you try to describe something familiar with the majority of an audience w/o the aid of a training aid.
a shark fin is pretty well known.
airbus? well, ive seen an open door and the bottom of them in flight, more than the average person!

 

[wheelgun1958]

its called 'painting a picture' or 'association' in lecturing.
its when you try to describe something familiar with the majority of an audience w/o the aid of a training aid.
a shark fin is pretty well known.
airbus? well, ive seen an open door and the bottom of them in flight, more than the average person!

I've been in parts of Airbus' most people don't even know exist. From top to bottom, tip to tail. Same for Boeing and Douglas. Even the little puddle jumpers. The difference in Airbus drivers is they don't have a big stick between their legs. That's no yoke.