New answers tagged vertical-stabilizer
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Boeing B-52G Stratofortress
In the design of the B-52G, considerable attention was paid to reducing the structural weight. Different materials were used in the construction of the airframe, and the wing structure was extensively redesigned. The most visible difference was a vertical tail which was reduced in size. The height was reduced from 48 feet 3 ...
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I'd guess that they wanted to avoid an acute angle between the lower part of the vertical stabiliser and the horizontal - not for structural reasons but to limit interference drag.
They could have made the top piece vertical and just kicked out the bottom part, but then the rudder would have to have been made in two parts (or the hinge wouldn't have worked!)...
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I'm fairly sure (but have no sources to confirm) that the reasons are purely structural. The vertical stabilisers are simply set at a right angle to the horizontal one. This is just the easiest thing to do, and it also provides better clearance with deflected lower rudders. The aerodynamic consequences of this (for such small angles) are pretty minor.
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