Vectoria-A Design Study Incorporating Thrust Vectoring

The Vectoria aircraft was designed last year by staff members and students from Linköping University in Sweden and is a fighter that is designed to play a role similar to the Saab JAS 39 Gripen. The design incorporates many new ideas in aircraft design including stealth and two-dimensional thrust vectoring capabilities. One of the aircraft's prime requirements was to utilise STOL whilst also maintaining a low radar signature and obtaining fighter performance. This in itself is no easy feat as to date no western aircraft has successfully combined these requirements, although these factors are being included in the different American JSF projects.

The Vectoria was originally designed as a part of a structures project in which all the various components had to be fitted. It was decided that the aircraft should have two dimensional thrust vectoring in the form of a simple flap was the cheapest and most light form of achieving STOL performance and improved manoeuvre properties. The configuration was designed so as to achieve the engine thrust as close to the centre of gravity as possible, minimising trimming balancing requirements whilst performing STOL manoeuvres.