# Funky tail on airplane.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-tail-on-airplane/822442>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 4, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-tail-on-airplane/822442 "2018-10-04T19:11:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-tail-on-airplane/822442/1 "2018-10-04T19:11:15Z")

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I’d never heard of Funk Aircraft, formerly Akron Aircraft.  
One made an emergency landing near Hot Springs Arkansas. It’s tail looks funky to me; it doesn’t match Google pictures. What is [with the tail?](https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/oct/04/plane-makes-emergency-landing-arkansas-horse-train/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=midday-10-4-18&utm_content=midday-10-4-18+CID_9809ac81091bd16ac0d2fddfc16e5636&utm_source=Email%20Marketing%20Platform&utm_term=Plane%20makes%20emergency%20landing%20at%20Arkansas%20horse%20training%20track) The vertical stabilizer looks small, and the tail fins look warped.

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**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-tail-on-airplane/822442/2 "2018-10-04T19:57:42Z")

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> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> I’d never heard of Funk Aircraft, formerly Akron Aircraft.  
> One made an emergency landing near Hot Springs Arkansas. It’s tail looks funky to me; it doesn’t match Google pictures. What is [with the tail?](https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/oct/04/plane-makes-emergency-landing-arkansas-horse-train/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=midday-10-4-18&utm_content=midday-10-4-18+CID_9809ac81091bd16ac0d2fddfc16e5636&utm_source=Email%20Marketing%20Platform&utm_term=Plane%20makes%20emergency%20landing%20at%20Arkansas%20horse%20training%20track) The vertical stabilizer looks small, and the tail fins look warped.

I think the elevator is pitched up. With the trailing edge of the elevator having a curved shape (like [this one](https://microaero.com/cessna_170_2/)), it end up looking odd as a 2-dimensional image.

Googling [Funk aircraft,](https://www.google.com/search?q=funk+aircraft&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjF5-zLyO3dAhUCZN8KHVSqCeIQ_AUIDygC&biw=1275&bih=831) it looks like some of their models have a vertical stabilizer that isn’t very tall, but makes up for it by being long in the fore-and-aft direction to provide adequate surface area.

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-tail-on-airplane/822442/3 "2018-10-04T20:14:05Z")

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Thanks, Elf.

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**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funky-tail-on-airplane/822442/4 "2018-10-04T20:15:33Z")

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> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> The vertical stabilizer looks small, and the tail fins look warped.

Optical illusion. You’re looking at it from almost straight behind. I bet it’s the standard size as the images that **Machine Elf** linked to but doesn’t show that from this angle. You wouldn’t ask that question if the photo was from the side of the plane.

There’s a slight pitch up in the elevator in the [photo](http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=7714825) of this parked Funk plane. In your article it’s probably moreso.