Research>Flow control>manoeuvre effectors>Fluidic Thrust Vectoring

Background

Thrust Vectoring is a technique whereby forces and moments for aircraft control are obtained from varying the angle of a propulsive jet exhaust. For Mechanical Thrust Vectoring (MTV) systems, a mechanical actuation system is used to vary the exit geometry of the nozzle. For Fluidic Thrust Vectoring (FTV), a fluidic actuation system is used to vary the fluid boundary conditions on a fixed nozzle geometry. The main advantages of FTV over MTV are that there are reduced moving parts and the system can be lighter, faster and has reduced signature.

The FTV work at Manchester has been funded by EPSRC, QinetiQ/DSTL and BAESYSTEMS

Research topics

• Definition of performance metrics for FTV
• Development of hardware for flight demonstration
• FTV fundamental fluid mechanics
• Six axis flight control using FTV
• Gas turbine engine bleed systems for FTV

Presentations

Flapless Flight Demonstrator Experience at Manchester, February 2007

Publications

Sparks, R., Michie, S., Gill, K., Crowther, W.J., ‘Development of an Integrated Circulation Control / Fluidic Thrust Vectoring Flight Test Demonstrator’, 1^st International Conference on Innovation & Integration in Aerospace Science Queen’s University Belfast 4^th & 5^th August 2005 (CEIAT 2005-0086)

Mason, M and Crowther, W.J., ‘Fluidic thrust vectoring for low observable aircraft’, RaeS conference, Cambridge 2002

Pilmoor, M., Crowther, W.J., and Wood, N.J., ‘Development of a Dynamic Wind Tunnel Model for Demonstration of Flow Control Maneuver Effectors’, AIAA-2006-3507

Mason, M.S., Crowther, W.J., ‘Fluidic thrust vectoring for low observable air vehicles’ AIAA-2004-2210,  2^nd AIAA Flow Control Conference, Portland, Oregon, June 28-1, 2004

Telegraph article, October 2005