WW2 Planes - Horizontal Stabilizers

[Lord Chambers]

Roughly what percentage of allied planes used in WW2 had horizontal stabilizers like the
P-38 Lightning here?

Obviously the P-38 is not "unique" for having a horizontal stabilizer, but they were not "very common" either, correct? Would you say horizontal stabilizers in WW2 were "rare?" "Relatively unique" to planes like the P-38?

I'm writing something unrelated to plane design but don't want to say something completely inaccurate, and can't find the answer on the internet.

Keep in mind, I'm talking about planes with two (or more?!) tails united across the rear by a shared horizontal stabilizer. Is there a term for this design which distinguishes it from all other types of horizontal stabilizers?

 

[dosed150]

all i can think of is the de havilland vampire, only just though it entered service april 1945 but didnt see combat till after the war



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire

 

[Lord Chambers]

Honestly, I remember shooting down lots of planes in 1942 for the NES which had this same feature. Unfortunately that's not very searchable information.

 

[Ugly]

Twin boom aircraft is probably the term you are looking for.

I don't know much about this site, but it looks like it might have the informaiton your are looking for.

http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/world-war-2-aircraft.asp

 

[Evie]

The Germans had some of the most interesting ones - and some truly weird designs along those lines, the Heinkel He 111 Z especially, which had an engine where most twin booms have their cockpit, and twin cockpits where most twin booms have their engines...

The Arado ar. E340 is another interesting variant on the twin boom design.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

I scanned through the site Ugly posted and came up with these:

P-61 Black Widow:
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=78

XP-54 Swoose Goose:
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=412

Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Owl:
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=472

Hughes XF-11:
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=478

Lockheed XP-49: (hard to tell, but looks like a twin-boom plane)
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=410

Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning:
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=411

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I only knew of the P-38 and the P-61, which I think was used for night fighting.

 

[Cutlass]

I think there was a variant of the P51 that had 2 bodies for 2 pilots and was a long range patrol fighter that may have only been post WWII. But I forget what it was called.

edit. found it. http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=182
P-82 Twin Mustang

 

[Lord Chambers]

Awesome. Links and personal knowledge, thank you all very much.