FLIGHT CONTROL AND HANDLING RESEARCH WITH THE VAAC HARRIER AIRCRAFT

Future short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) concepts present un ique design challenges. The flight control system designer must consid er several issues including the control response type, the appropriate cockpit displays, and the control strategy for the night and propulsi on controls. Advanced STOVL concepts will have many force and moment g enerators. To be operationally effective such configurations need to h ave precise handling and control properties such that the pilot is not faced with an unacceptably high workload. The vectored thrust aircraf t advanced night control (VAAC) is a research programme which is addre ssing these issues. Its primary objective is to develop night control and handling concepts which, when applied to future STOVL configuratio ns, will provide good handling qualities with a low pilot workload. Fo ur potential methods of controlling future STOVL aircraft are describe d and assessed with manned simulation and with the VAAC Harrier aircra ft.