Trimming high lift for STOL fighters

The results of investigations of three different approaches to obtaining longitudinal trim for advanced fighter configurations with STOL performance are presented. The first, a differential thrust vectoring/reverser nozzle on an F-15 model, was very effective with an increment in pitching moment generated by the 90 deg/50 deg nozzle at military power equal to that which would be produced by a change in horizontal tail deflection of 20 deg. This trim pitching moment was accompanied by a modest loss in lift. The second method involved a nose jet on a supersonic cruise fighter configuration which, when combined with some canard deflection and longitudinal instability, provided trim capability for the configuration with military power setting and main nozzles deflected 43 degrees. Finally, a blown-high-lift canard on an advanced fighter configuration indicated that trim could be obtained across the complete angle-of-attack range tested with thrust set at military power and the main nozzles deflected 40 degrees. There was no loss in configuration lift and a slight increase in longitudinal stability.