Nickel and Wohlfahrt categorize the difficulties into three main areas:
Authors: K. Nickel and M. Wohlfahrt
Original Publication: 1990 (English translation by E. Stamford)
Status: Out of print; widely circulated as a scanned PDF in aerospace engineering communities. tailless aircraft in theory and practice pdf
A concise guide covering theory, design principles, stability and control, aerodynamic considerations, structural and systems integration, prototyping, testing, and references — suitable for conversion to PDF. Nickel and Wohlfahrt categorize the difficulties into three
When an elevon moves up (to roll left), it creates drag on that wingtip, yawing the aircraft right—opposite to the desired direction. Practical solutions include differential elevon travel (more up than down) or adding drag rudders (split flaps at wingtips), as seen on the B-2. When an elevon moves up (to roll left),
| Category | Example Title | Best For | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Classic Theory | The Flying Wing: A Study of Tailless Aircraft (S. C. Brown) | Understanding fundamental stability equations. | | NASA/AGARD Reports | Aerodynamics of Tailless Aircraft (NASA CP-2005-213902) | High-fidelity aerodynamic data and wind tunnel results. | | Modeling & RC Design | Building Tailless Model Aircraft (Martin Simons) | Practical construction, CG placement, and elevon mixing. | | Modern Stealth | Low-Observable Tailless Configurations (Lockheed Martin Technical Papers) | Military applications and RCS reduction. |