TO L ▁aircraft ▁that ▁takes ▁off ▁and ▁lands ▁on ▁its ▁tail , ▁then ▁til ts ▁hor izont ally ▁for ▁forward ▁flight . ▁ ▁Description ▁ ▁A ▁tail - s itter ▁s its ▁vert ically ▁on ▁its ▁tail ▁for ▁take off ▁and ▁landing , ▁then ▁til ts ▁the ▁whole ▁aircraft ▁forward ▁for ▁horizontal ▁flight . ▁This ▁is ▁very ▁different ▁from ▁the ▁many ▁other ▁kinds ▁of ▁V TO L ▁techn ologies , ▁which ▁have ▁hor izont ally - orient ed ▁fus el ages . ▁ ▁T ail - s it ters ▁change ▁fus el age ▁orientation ▁after ▁take - off . ▁They ▁start ▁of ▁with ▁the ▁back ▁of ▁the ▁aircraft ▁to ▁the ▁ground ▁( ... a ▁vertical ▁orientation ), ▁and ▁then ▁re orient ▁to ▁a ▁horizontal ▁orientation ▁in ▁flight . ▁ ▁Some ▁tail - s it ters ▁then ▁land ed ▁convention ally ▁in ▁hor izont ally - orient ed ▁configuration , ▁while ▁others ▁had ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁am bit ious ▁goal ▁of ▁landing ▁vert ically ▁with ▁the ▁aircraft ' s ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ground , ▁a ▁highly ▁ha z ard ous ▁procedure ▁for ▁many ▁reasons , ▁prime ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁increased ▁fuel ▁consumption ▁and ▁limited ▁pilot ▁visibility . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁concept ▁of ▁a ▁tail - s itting ▁aircraft ▁was ▁included ▁in ▁a ▁pat ent ▁by ▁Nik ola ▁T es la ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁F ock e - W ulf ▁Tr ieb fl ügel ▁( wing - dri ven ) ▁f ighter ▁was ▁a ▁German ▁tail - s itter