First Flights with Neil Armstrong

Tail First Flying: the Canard (3x4)

Air date: Sep 29, 1993

When the small tail surface wings which enable an airplane to go up or down are moved to the front, they are called canards. It is a technology as old as manned flight — the Wrights used canards on their early airplanes. Canards were rarely used after the first World War until computer technology provided the control needed to make the technology feasible.