British Aerospace Plc

John T Platt

A VSTOL aircraft powerplant comprises a gas turbine engine (1), a chamber (2) for receiving exhaust from the turbine section of the engine (1), and a jet propulsion nozzle (3) and vertical lift nozzles (4, 5) connected to the chamber (2). Blocker doors (6, 7) are provided for blocking flow of exhaust from the chamber (2) and thus diverting the flow to the vertical lift nozzles (4, 5). A high pressure air curtain is provided by ducts (9) to control th area of the ports to the vertical lift nozzles (4, 5). Control means coordinate and control the operation of the blocker doors (6, 7) and the air curtain to vary the total efflux between three configurations, namely all efflux occurrng through the jet propulsion nozzle (3) for wing-borne flight; all efflux occurring through the vertical lift nozzle (4, 5) for hovering; and some efflux, which is steplessly variable, occurring through both the vertical lift nozzles and the jet propulsion nozzle for transition between wing-borne and jet-borne flight.

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Thornton-Cleveleys, United Kingdom

John T Platt