Tail heaviness

Tail Heaviness: The faulty characteristic of an aeroplane caused by the Centre of Gravity (c.g.) being too far back or by badly trimmed elevators.
Tailplane: The fixed horizontal tail surface of an aeroplane.

To counteract the tail heaviness of the aft C.G., the elevator must be trimmed for an up load. The horizontal stabilizer, as a result, produces extra lift and the wings, correspondingly, hold a slightly lower angle of attack.

In machines having interplane ailerons, nose heaviness and tail heaviness may be corrected by setting the trailing edges of the ailerons up or down.

See also: Weight, Rudder, Torque, Direct, Wheel