Thorp Air Command - T18.net

If the vertical fin/rudder are the limiting factor for aerobatics in the T-18, has anyone ever tried installing a larger vertical fin and rudder? I recall the Vans Aircraft RV-7's began using larger vertical fins than originally designed for better spin recovery (if I recall correctly).

I think that the stabilator is a limiting factor - at least one of them Ryan. It’s a pretty tough airplane but I think that many of us have seen them abused from stupidity... wrinkled wing skins, etc. Very easy to exceed red line, and pull too many G’s. I haven’t personally heard of the rudder being a factor.

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

My experience is that the rudder is a bit undersized for slow maneuvers such as the hammerhead turn. That said, at cruise it's just right. Now to reopen an old can of worms. My rudder and many others is about an inch smaller in width (front to back) than the plans. A measuring exercise at Oshkosh showed that those who got their skins laid out in Torrance were all shy of the plans. We surmised more rudder skins fit on a sheet that way.

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Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

Have seen taller verticals, but probably for different reason(s).

The taller vertical was to house a comm antenna that was popular in the day.

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Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

Ah, the stabilator, thanks John. That V-tail just made me think about "other mods." That's in interesting pic with the large vertical fin.