Thrust Vectoring Fighter Aircraft Agility Research Using Remotely Piloted Vehicles

Due to the hybrid nature of currently predicted thrust vectoring benefits on fighter aircraft performance, which are more apparent in dynamic as opposed to static, and nonlinear as opposed to linear, aerodynamic situations (such as high α, low airspeed) the experimental methodology of using Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPV's) for testing thrust vectoring configurations is a low cost interim risk reducing step between wind tunnel and full scale prototype testing. Based on inherent advantages of using RPV methodology in certain situations it is advocated as a standard configuration testing and concept demonstration procedure for thrust vectoring concepts in the future.