Un estabilizador vertical o deriva de una aeronave, misil o bomba militar normalmente se encuentra en la extremo trasero del fuselaje o cuerpo y está destinado a reducir el deslizamiento lateral aerodinámico. Es análogo a un skeg en embarcaciones de vela. En aeronaves, los estabilizadores verticales normalmente apuntan hacia arriba. Estos también son conocidos como cola vertical, como parte de la cola de un avión. El extremo final del estabilizador normalmente es móvil, se llama timón y permite que el piloto del avión controle la guiñada o movimiento del avión en el eje vertical. Las antenas del transceptor de radionavegación o banda aérea suelen estar situadas en el interior de la cola vertical o sobre ella. En la mayoría de los aviones con tres motores de reacción (trirreactores), el estabilizador vertical también alberga el ducto de la toma de aire del motor central o al propio motor, como en los Lockheed L-1011, McDonnell Douglas DC-10, McDonnell Douglas MD-11, Boeing 727, BAe Trident, Tupolev Tu-154, y Yakovlev Yak-40.

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The vertical stabilizers, vertical stabilisers, or fins, of aircraft, missiles or bombs are typically found on the aft end of the fuselage or body, and are intended to reduce aerodynamic side slip and provide direction stability. It is analogous to a skeg on boats and ships. On aircraft, vertical stabilizers generally point upwards. These are also known as the vertical tail, and are part of an aircraft's empennage. This upright mounting position has two major benefits: The drag of the stabilizer increases at speed which creates a nose-up moment that help to slow down the aircraft that prevent dangerous overspeed, and when the aircraft banks the stabilizer produce lift which counter the banking moment and keep the aircraft upright at the absence of control input. If the vertical stabilizer was mounted on the underside, it would produce a positive feedback whenever the aircraft dive or bank, which is inherently unstable. The trailing end of the stabilizer is typically movable, and called the rudder; this allows the aircraft pilot to control yaw. Often navigational radio or airband transceiver antennas are placed on or inside the vertical tail. In all known trijets (aircraft with 3 engines), the vertical stabilizer houses the central engine or engine inlet duct. Vertical stabilizers, or fins, have also been used in automobiles, specifically in top level motor sports, with the concept making a resurgence in both Formula 1 and Le Mans Prototype racing. A few aircraft models have a ventral fin under the rear end. Normally this is small, or can fold sideways, to allow landing. Both the North American X-15 supersonic/hypersonic experimental aircraft, and the late World War II German twin-engined Dornier Do 335 heavy fighter used differing forms of the cruciform tail stabilizing surface format.

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