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Concorde's "bulge" On The Vertical Fin Question

StudentFlyer From Australia, joined Sep 2004, 688 posts, RR: 4
Posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 3390 times:

I noticed that there is a "bulge" on the vertical fin stabilizer in Concordes. One on port side being lower than that to the starboard side. Has anyone noticed this before? What does this "bulge" acheive - what purpose? -. Also, what is the actual name for these things called?

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Photo © Paul Ashenden

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Photo © David Goose

Notice the "bulge" on the tail fin...

I apologise if someone has asked this question before in this forum...

Thanks,
AK

[Edited 2004-09-29 15:24:31]

13 replies: All unread, jump to last

Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15870 posts, RR: 66
Reply 1, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 3362 times:

The fin is so thin that the actuators for the rudders wouldn't fit on the inside. So they put them on the outside inside the fairings you see.

"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo

StudentFlyer From Australia, joined Sep 2004, 688 posts, RR: 4
Reply 2, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 3355 times:

Thanks Starlionblue.

So they are just housing to the rudder actuators? Do they cause any aerodynamic improvements at all?

Regards,
AK

Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15870 posts, RR: 66
Reply 3, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 3331 times:

So they are just housing to the rudder actuators? Do they cause any aerodynamic improvements at all?

Well, yes and no. the best solution would of course have been a smooth rudder, so in that way the fairings are not an improvement. However it's of course better to have an aerodynamic fairing that just putting the mechanism in the open air Big grin

. Compare to flap track fairings on the wings of airliners.

"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo

Lapper From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2002, 1507 posts, RR: 8
Reply 4, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 3198 times:

If you look at the vertical fin in profile, you'll also see that the "bulges" are in different places on each side.

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Photo © Peter Unmuth - VAP

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Photo © Daubagna Vincent

(Sorry, couldn't find any profile shots!)

Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15870 posts, RR: 66
Reply 5, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 3049 times:

Thx for the pics Lapper.

The reason for the fairings being at different heights is that the left one is for the lower rudder and the right one is for the upper rudder (Concorde has two rudders). Putting them one on each side is of course a matter of balance.

"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo

StudentFlyer From Australia, joined Sep 2004, 688 posts, RR: 4
Reply 6, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 2780 times:

But putting one higher than the other does not make any imbalance does it?? Also, why do they have 2 rudders? This also applies to other airliners doesn't it?

BTW, thanx for the pics too Lapper! It looks much clearer than the ones I found Smile

Thanks,
AK

Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15870 posts, RR: 66
Reply 7, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 2770 times:

But putting one higher than the other does not make any imbalance does it?? Also, why do they have 2 rudders? This also applies to other airliners doesn't it?

A little imbalance yes, but the fin needs to be the same weight and have the same drag on each side. And that is pretty much achieved. Beyond that, the little imbalance has little effect.

The 2 rudders are for redundancy. Many aircraft have two rudders, for example the 747:

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Photo © Michael Catchpole

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Photo © Willem Honders

"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo

StudentFlyer From Australia, joined Sep 2004, 688 posts, RR: 4
Reply 8, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 2750 times:

Thanks for the info and your time, Starlionblue. It's very much appreciated Smile

Regards,
AK

Miamiair From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 9, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 2743 times:

Not to mention independent hydraulic systems (Sys A & Sys B).

StudentFlyer From Australia, joined Sep 2004, 688 posts, RR: 4
Reply 10, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 2646 times:

Thanks for the further info, Miamiair Smile

Regards,
AK

GDB From United Kingdom, joined exactly 12 years ago today! , 12713 posts, RR: 80
Reply 11, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 2532 times:

There were in fact three hydraulic systems, Blue Green and Stby (Yellow).

Operated at 4000 p.s.i. using M2V rather than the usual Skydrol, more viscous and designed to operate at higher temps and pressures.

Green System;
Nos.1 and 2 engine intakes.
Flying controls.
Landing gear. including wheel brakes and steering.
Droop nose and visor.
Fuel transfer pump.
Emergency A.C. generator.

Blue System;
Nos.3 and 4 engine intakes.
Flying controls.
Fuel transfer pump.

Yellow System;
Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 engine intakes.
Flying controls.
Wheel Brakes.
Landing gear.
Droop nose and visor.

The fairings were for the P.F.C.U. an electro-hydraulic system with two jacks.

GDB From United Kingdom, joined exactly 12 years ago today! , 12713 posts, RR: 80
Reply 12, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 2531 times:

More pics and diagrams;

http://www.concordesst.com/flightsys.html

http://www.concordesst.com/inside/7.html

http://www.concordesst.com/model101/taster/sd9.jpg

StudentFlyer From Australia, joined Sep 2004, 688 posts, RR: 4
Reply 13, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 2440 times:

GDB, Thanks for the in-depth explanations. It's very much appreciated Smile

Regards,
AK

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