Sideways stabilizer makes for straight takeoff

Published 4:33 pm Thursday, March 27, 2014

An interesting aspect of the FHC’s Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3 is the plane’s vertical stabilizer.

Instead of being symmetrical, the stabilizer is built like a wing turned on its side. The tail’s airfoil shape helps counteract the torque of the fighter’s 1,159 horsepower engine. Pushing the tail to the left assists the pilot on takeoff, allowing him to use less right rudder to keep the airplane on track as it climbs into the skies.