The VAAC Harrier - the Royal Navy's next generation of aircraft.

The latest Harrier offers simpler handling, reduced training and reduced risk of pilot error.




VAAC Harrier about to take off



Under the hood of the latest Harrier is a revolutionary new system called vectored-thrust aircraft advanced flight control (VAAC). Designed by QinetiQ's predecessor, DERA, with funding from the US-UK Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Office, VAAC uses advanced "fly by wire" technology to turn over many of the Harrier's flight characteristics to computers. This makes the aircraft much simpler to fly and enables engineers to fine-tune it quickly for improved handling, based on pilot feedback between sorties. It also provides valuable data for use in flight simulators.

The Harrier, with its unique swing-nozzle engines, continues to be the leading "Short Take Off, Vertical Landing" (STOVL) aircraft, and remains essential to the US Marine Corps, Royal Navy and RAF. Its two-seater cockpit has been modified to accommodate VAAC, which enables the rear pilot to assume full control of the aircraft.

The key implications of the system are:



1) It allows the testing of different flying modes in real-flight environments.

2) Modifications to the software and flying experience, including pilot feedback, can be incorporated quickly and easily between flights.

3) It offers STOVL capability without the need for the Harrier's tricky "third nozzle" lever, making flying the aircraft much simpler.


VAAC helps pilots to hold the Harrier's speed, bank, altitude, climb, dive angle, hover height, side-slip direction, descent and ascent. This means simpler handling, reduced training and reduced risk of pilot error. Ultimately, the system will save lives and airframes, and increase pilot / airframe performance by optimising the use of controls.

JSF engineers have already benefited from collaborative research carried out by QinetiQ and NASA into advanced control laws of flight. Now the VAAC Harrier is enabling the first shipboard evaluation of that work.

QinetiQ.org

I was under the impression that ALL harriers that bith the brits and americans have were to be replaced by the Joint Strike Fighter which is able to not only manuver like a harrier and have the stability of a fly by wire aircraft but can also go supersonic which the harrier cannot. I think it can also carry a heavier payload. Due to the huge volume of aircraft, parts will be easily available for a long time to come and costs will be lower on a per airplane basis