vertical stabilizer

American  

noun

Aeronautics.

1. the fixed vertical surface of an aircraft empennage, to which the rudder is hinged.

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vertical stabilizer British  

noun

1. the US name for fin 1

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Example Sentences

Two are mounted under the wings, and a third is built into the tail at the base of the vertical stabilizer.

From BBC

“There are a few places where there’s some challenging parts in the lowering of it because of the tight fit with the wings and vertical stabilizer,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The Associated Press quoted Clint Johnson with the National Transportation Safety Board as saying the plane struck a tree, rendering its vertical stabilizer inoperative.

From Seattle Times

The tail looked much larger when he got next to it, with a major part of the vertical stabilizer showing and perhaps half of the elevators.

From Literature

At Heathrow, television video and photographs showed fire damage near the base of the vertical stabilizer, with fire-retardant foam having been sprayed on the area.

From New York Times