Plain English Meaning

On an aircraft with a V-shaped tail instead of the usual upright fin and horizontal stabilizer, the two angled tail surfaces each have a moving flap. These flaps work together to do the job that a separate rudder and elevators would normally do on a conventional tail.

Full Definition

The two movable control surfaces on a V-tail (Vee-tail) empennage that combine the functions of a conventional rudder and elevators. When both surfaces move together in the same direction, they act as elevators to control pitch; when they move in opposite directions, they act as a rudder to control yaw. They are operated through a mixing linkage that blends the pilot's control wheel and inputs.