the model 54 was a conventional biplane design with a highly streamlined fuselage similar in outline to the curtiss eagle, but of considerably smaller proportions. the wings were fitted with a variety of high-lift devices, including automatic leading edge slots on the upper wing, flaps that extended along the entire span of the upper wing, and "floating" ailerons on the lower wing that, in the absence of pilot input, automatically adjusted themselves parallel to the airflow over the wing. the combination of these devices gave the tanager a stall speed of just 31 mph (50 km/h) and allowed it to land in only 90 ft (27 m).