Investigation of the Impact of Simplifying the Aircraft Geometry on the Characteristics of the Vertical Tailplane

For the planned optimization of the vertical tailplane (VTP) of a Megaliner transport aircraft configuration a prior basic study is undertaken where the influence of simplifying the aircraft geometry on the characteristics of the VTP is examined. Four different configurations with varying simplification level were investigated. These are: a VTP on a base plate, a VTP on a fuselage, a VTP on a fuselage with horizontal tailplane and a VTP on a fuselage with horizontal tailplane, wing and belly fairing. Several flight cases were identified where the characteristics of the VTP are most important and then analyzed by means of numerical flow analysis using the flow solver TAU developed at the German Aerospace Center DLR. Determined are the side force coefficient generated at maximum rudder deflection, the high speed drag, the gradient of the side force coefficient due to rudder deflection and the gradient of the side force coefficient due to sideslip angle. The latter two were evaluated at low and high speed conditions. The simplified configurations were then compared to the most complete one as reference case.