DERA Achieves Auto STOVL Landing

The world's first automatic STOVL approach and landing has been successfully demonstrated by DERA, the UK's Defence Evaluation & Research Agency, following earlier successful trials with its vectored thrust advanced flight control Harrier.

DERA Fast-Jet Test Squadron pilots commanded the guidance system to institute a recovery trajectory 30 miles from Boscombe Down, through descent and deceleration to a controlled hover beside a target travelling at simulated ship speed on the runway.

"This should lead to operating future STOVL aircraft in much poorer weather than currently possible with Harriers," says trials manager Fred Scorer. "It puts us well on the way to meeting the requirements for automatic STOVL operations with the Joint Strike Fighter."

DERA is demonstrating a number of new developments on its stand here in the UK Pavilion, including a Windows NT laptop version of its ICARUS crash replay advanced real-time cockpit instrument display facility.

Another is computerized airport modeling of "stealth buildings" to help minimize interference with airport radar. The technology is being used for British Airways' World Cargo Center at Heathrow and for a new building at Gatwick.

By Steve Morris