Ricardo Traven, chief Boeing F/A18test pilot. Man on a mission. Lots of control surfaces to wave at the crowd. Spot the detail differences between the F1A8F and F/A18A/B.

Note the huge range of (differential) movement of the stabilisers. And to think that General Chuck Yeager was advised by Jackie L. Ridley to alter the angle of incidence of the Bell X-1's tailplane by a minute amount to retain elevator authority at transonic and supersonic speeds!

The effectiveness of the Hornet's tailplane can be seen in the startling demonstrations by Ricardo Traven in the Boeing demonstrator F/A18F "100", Sqn Ldr Simmons and now FltLt Aaron Ward in their respective RAAF F/A18As. The "steering-from-the-rear" effect in turns is almost incomprehensible to the observer.

Ricardo Traven, chief Boeing F/A18test pilot. Man on a mission. Lots of control surfaces to wave at the crowd. Spot the detail differences between the F1A8F and F/A18A/B.

Note the huge range of (differential) movement of the stabilisers. And to think that General Chuck Yeager was advised by Jackie L. Ridley to alter the angle of incidence of the Bell X-1's tailplane by a minute amount to retain elevator authority at transonic and supersonic speeds!

The effectiveness of the Hornet's tailplane can be seen in the startling demonstrations by Ricardo Traven in the Boeing demonstrator F/A18F "100", Sqn Ldr Simmons and now FltLt Aaron Ward in their respective RAAF F/A18As. The "steering-from-the-rear" effect in turns is almost incomprehensible to the observer.