Thrust Reversers for Civil STOL Aircraft

Assuming future STOL aircraft of 60 to 200 seats, 0.7 to 0.85 cruise Mach number, and landing at around 90 knots on runways down to 2000 ft in length, an examination is made of the need for reversers and what special requirements and constraints will apply. It is concluded that reversers are very likely to be used, both in flight (for descent thrust control) and on the ground.

This paper describes a fast-selection control system and several thrust reverser designs, aimed at high performance, low specific weight, compatibility with acoustic and other requirements, and suitability for high bypass engines. Thrust reversers and reversing fans are compared.