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AIUI (and happy to be corrected) the main difference between the Typhoon and Rafale is the spacing of the foreplanes from the wing. In the Typhoon, the distance is greater and they are used primarily to exploit that extra turning moment around the wing and control the pitch of the aircraft. The Rafale’s foreplanes are closer to the wing and are smaller. They are ‘aerodynamically coupled’ with the wing, meaning they are used more to modify the airflow over the wing, assisting with lift and stability, e.g. at higher angles of attack - ideal for a carrier-borne aircraft.
I don’t think the terms ‘canard’, ‘foreplanes’ etc. are particularly well defined. Canard generally describes a configuration where some kind of winglet/foreplane/vane/control surface is placed ahead of the wing. Whether it’s a winglet, foreplane or vane is probably down to whatever the manufacturer wants to describe it as.
rodan-
I don’t think the terms ‘canard’, ‘foreplanes’ etc. are particularly well defined.
Very much this. My response to gbj's original comment was tongue in cheek, knowing some people will argue they're not strictly canards on the Eurofighter. I'd always called them that myself before being made aware of the supposed difference.
Brun
My understanding of why they are known as forplanes on Typhoon is they both rotate in the same direction during operation, whereas the canards on a Rafale rotate indepenantly.
Happy to be corrected as was only a verbal description I was given, albeit by numerous different people during my apprenticeship.