VTOL
aircraft
For the past 60 years, Vertical Take-Off
and Landing (VTOL) aircraft have evolved
massively as engineers have strived for what
can be argued to be the Holy Grail of aeronautics
- Wings
Through the Harrier’s compact
wings run a series of exhaust
tubes that allow high-pressure
air to be filtered from the
engine to its tips, increasing
stability during manoeuvres.
Harrier Jump Jet
The most famous of all VTOL aircraft, the Harrier fi ghter jet is utilised all over
the world thanks to its advanced technology and aerodynamic versatility
F
or the past 40 years, since its
introduction in 1969, the Harrier
Jump Jet has epitomised the
vertical take-off and landing concept.
Born amid a fervent arms race to
produce a light attack, multi-rolefi ghter w ith VTOL capabilities, the
Harrier proved that VTOL could work
in reality, advancing the vastly
expensive and solely academic efforts
that had been designed previously.
Indeed, to this day it is still inoperation world w ide, and praised for
its versatility and reliability.
The Harrier’s VTOL capabilities are
made possible by its Rolls-Royce
Pegasus engine, a low by pass-ratio
turbofan that features four rotatingnozzles through which its fan and core
airfl ows exhaust. These nozzles can
be rotated by the pilot through a
98.5-degree arc, from the conventional
aft (horizontal) positioning as
standard on aircraft, to straight down,- Nozzles
One of the Harrier’s Pegasus
engine vectoring nozzles.
Through these four nozzles –
which can be rotated through a
98.5-degree arc – the engine’s
thrust can be directed for
vertical or short take-off.
AIR