Editing Tailplane (section)

==Control==
{{unreferenced section|date=March 2020}}
A tailplane usually has some means allowing the pilot to control the amount of lift produced by the tailplane. This in turn causes a nose-up or nose-down pitching moment on the aircraft, which is used to control the aircraft in pitch.

'''Elevator''': A conventional tailplane normally has a hinged aft surface called an [[elevator (aircraft)|elevator]],

'''[[Stabilator]] or all-moving tail''': In [[transonic]] flight [[shock wave]]s generated by the front of the tailplane render any elevator unusable. An all-moving tail was developed by the British for the [[Miles M.52]], but first saw actual transonic flight on the [[Bell X-1]]; [[Bell Aircraft Corporation]] had included an elevator trim device that could alter the [[angle of attack]] of the entire tailplane. This saved the program from a costly and time-consuming rebuild of the aircraft.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
 
Transonic and supersonic aircraft now have all-moving tailplanes to counteract [[Mach tuck]] and maintain maneuverability when flying faster than the [[critical Mach number]]. Normally called a [[stabilator]], this configuration is often referred to as an "all-moving" or "all-flying" tailplane.