  We present a measure of the inclination of the velocity ellipsoid at 1 kpc
below the Galactic plane using a sample of red clump giants from the RAVE DR2
release. We find that the velocity ellipsoid is tilted towards the Galactic
plane with an inclination of 7.3 +/-1.8 degree. We compare this value to
computed inclinations for two mass models of the Milky Way. We find that our
measurement is consistent with a short scale length of the stellar disc (Rd ~2
kpc) if the dark halo is oblate or with a long scale length (Rd~3 kpc) if the
dark halo is prolate. Once combined with independent constraints on the
flattening of the halo, our measurement suggests that the scale length is
approximately halfway between these two extreme values, with a preferred range
[2.5-2.7] kpc for a nearly spherical halo. Nevertheless, no model can be
clearly ruled out. With the continuation of the RAVE survey, it will be
possible to provide a strong constraint on the mass distribution of the Milky
Way using refined measurements of the orientation of the velocity ellipsoid.
