Scientists and engineers from the UK's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency have demonstrated the world¹s first automatic short take-off and vertical landing.
Trials with the VAAC (vectored thrust aircraft advanced flight control) Harrier builds on prior DERA/NASA research into advanced control laws in support of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme. "This research will reduce the risk of the JSF flight control system development as the programme enters the EMD (engineering and manufacturing design) phase," says DERA's Joanna Sale. As part of a UK Ministry of Defence-funded research programme into technologies required for deep strike platforms, such as the Future Carrier Based Aircraft (FCBA) or Future Offensive Air Capability (FOAC), the team demonstrated the VAAC Harrier's capability to automatically fly to a moving recovery point. The target was a ‘simulated ship' in the form of a trials vehicle travelling at ship speeds along the runway at Boscombe Down. The VAAC Harrier was flown out to a range of some 30 miles (48km), where DERA Fast-Jet Test Squadron (FJTS) test pilots commanded the guidance system to generate a recovery trajectory back to the predicted ship rendezvous location. The pilots then monitored the automated recovery, which included trajectory elements defined to meet local airspace restrictions, through the descent and deceleration to end with a steady controlled hover alongside the simulated ship.
Trial manager Fred Scorer says this trial "should lead to the ability to operate future STOVL aircraft in poorer weather conditions than is currently possible with Harriers".
"This puts us well on the way to showing how the requirements for automatic STOVL operations with the JSF can be met. The VAAC Harrier's digital flight control system has three key implications. Firstly it allows the testing of different modes in real-flight environments. Secondly, modifications to the software and the flying experience can be accommodated between flights incorporating pilot feedback practically instantaneously. Thirdly, it offers STOVL capability without the need for the tricky third nozzle control lever, significantly reducing pilot workload. The pilot will have direct control of output variables such as speed, bank attitude, climb/dive angle, hover height, side slip instead of flight control surfaces.
Source: Flight Daily News
