Thrust vectoring—essentially redirecting the plane’s exhaust flow—allows modern fighters to quickly change direction, giving them an edge in close combat. Thrust vectoring nozzles are one of the most ...

As the technological arms race intensified in the 1980s, supermaneuvrability became a key focus in Soviet air doctrine. Driven by Western advancements like the U.S.’s X-31 experimental aircraft, and ...

Thrust vectoring is the technology that allows an aircraft to manipulate the direction of its engine's exhaust rather than just pointing it straight backward. By using movable nozzles to redirect ...

The Air Force’s—and NASA’s—motivation behind the X-44 Manta project, starting in 1999, was to test the feasibility of full yaw, pitch and roll authority without tailplanes (horizontal or vertical), ...