A computerized direct optimization procedure has been developed to aid in the design of an aircraft all-moveable stabilator. The procedure systematically evaluates a set of design variables so that the near optimum stabilator is synthesized from input nondimensional geometry and material characteristics to satisfy design constraints of performance, control requirement, stability margin, strength, and flutter velocity. The procedure can be used in the search for either the minimum weight stabilator or maximum performance aircraft. Nonunique solutions are obtained for a particular candidate stabilator when initial perturbation step sizes are varied. The payoff surface changes, for this case, as steps are made in the direction of the extremal point. Because of this possibility of nonstationary payoff surface, it is questionable whether any sequential optimization scheme can consistently find the truly minimum weight flutter free surface. These results indicate significant weight improvement possibilities and emphasize the necessity for including aeroelastic constraints in a coordinated systems approach to aircraft design as early as possible in the design cycle.