The angle of incidence of the tail in flight mechanics refers to the angle between the chord line of the horizontal tail surfaces and the aircraft’s longitudinal axis. It represents the initial orientation of the tail relative to the fuselage or the body of the aircraft. The angle of incidence of the tail is a crucial parameter in aircraft design, influencing the aerodynamic characteristics, lift generation, and overall stability during flight. The formula to calculate angle of incidence of tail as follows:
Where:
- is the angle of attack of the tail in radian,
- is the angle of attack of the wing in radian,
- is the angle of incidence of the wing in radian,
- is the downwash angle in radian.